A Survey on Treatment Planning Experiences of Occupational Therapists

This study aimed to investigate the treatment planning experience of occupational therapists for stroke patients through a survey. Stroke patients receiving occupational therapy and their therapists were surveyed in this study; a questionnaire on general information about the occupational therapists, diagnostic information of the patient under treatment, and treatment planning experience was distributed among the study participants. Data on stroke patients, including their sex, age, paretic side, cause of stroke, and onset period, were collected through the occupational therapists in charge of these patients. Completed questionnaires were retrieved, and the questionnaire results were coded and analyzed. SPSS Statistics 26.0 was used for all statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics and frequency. In total, 81 stroke patients were undergoing occupational therapy, of which 39 (48.1%) had right hemiplegia and 42 (51.9%) had left hemiplegia. The mean treatment duration was 12.84 months. Further, 19 male (23.5%) and 62 female (76.5%) therapists were included in this study, and their average treatment experience was 4.84±3.75 years. Forty-eight (59.3%) patients responded that the standard for setting treatment goals was determined according to the coordinated opinion of the therapist, patient, and guardian, and the patient's functional and independence level was the most important factor when planning a treatment program. Responses accounted for the most with 33 (40.7%). Thirty-five (43.2%) therapists responded that the occupational therapy intervention used a top-down approach, and 46 (56.8%) responded that a bottom-up approach was used. This study is meaningful as it investigated the treatment planning experience of occupational therapists and confirmed the factors influencing it.