Do OTs assess the ability to work for patients in your country?

Susanne

Dear colleague,

My name is Susanne Wachter and I am an occupational therapist in Switzerland.

At the moment I'm working on a project to find out if occupational therapists assess and legally validate the ability to work for patients in other countries.

Could you please provide answers for your country on the following questions?

• Do occupational therapists in your country assess the percentage of working ability for patients after illness?
For example, after an accident and subsequent rehabilitation, you determine how many hours the patient will go back to work.

If so:

• How do you determine it?

• Are training and certification programs educated in your country?

I would be very happy and very grateful for your answer!

Best regards

Susanne Wachter
Occupational Therapist, MSc

ElinWidmark

Hi!

In Sweden there are OTs working with assessments regarding peoples working abilities, although I'm not sure to what extension they are involved in determining percentage or hours. Some use an instrument based on MOHO that uses the individual's own assesment that is called Dialogue about working ability. You can read more about it here: https://www.arbetsterapeuterna.se/Om-forbundet/Forbundets-forlag/Dialogue-about-Working-Ability-DWA-version-40-2012/

Best regards

Elin Widmark
Occupational Therapist, MSc

eharstad

Hi Susanne -

I work in the United States in post acute brain injury and stroke. I am often called on to give recommendations about when a patient can return to work and if they need any accommodations, whether it be physical equipment or modified schedule. However, most employers require a physician's signature that the patient is medically cleared to resume work. What I usually do, is write a letter to the employer and add my signature and the physician's signature.

The same process applies when looking at extending a patient's disability benefits here to say that they are not able to return to work yet. I usually fill out all the paperwork, but have the physician sign it.

In the United States, some OTs are also certified as "functional capacity evaluators." These assessments look at a person's ability to perform work, cognitively and physically.