Prior Yeliz, Battista Simone, Gregory William J, Bisset Patricia, Derham Sandra, Dockrell Dervil M, Livesey Caroline, O'Callaghan Gemma
School of Health and Society, Centre for Human Movement and Rehabilitation, University of Salford, Greater Manchester, Salford, UK.
Rheumatology Department, Salford Royal Hospital, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, Greater Manchester, Salford, UK.
Rheumatol Adv Pract. 2025 Jun 9;9(3):rkaf072. doi: 10.1093/rap/rkaf072. eCollection 2025.
An online survey was conducted to explore the clinical roles and expertise of rheumatology occupational therapists (OTs) to inform the development of a UK-specific capabilities framework to enhance care quality and career progression.
A working group established through the British Society for Rheumatology (BSR) designed and disseminated an online survey via social media and profession-specific networks. Snowball sampling was employed. The survey collected data on job roles, work settings, satisfaction levels, perceived National Health Service Agenda for Change banding appropriateness and comfort with the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) Core Competencies. Responses underwent descriptive analysis.
Eighty-eight rheumatology OTs participated in the survey. Most worked full time (18.2%) at Band 6 (44.3%) or Band 7 (46.6%), primarily in acute settings (73.9%). The majority (75-90%) dedicated their time to direct clinical contact, with 75% feeling their job description accurately reflected their role and 23% reporting they had not had sufficient formal training to perform their job role. Participants performed a wide range of job roles, including assessment and advice on activities of daily living (97.7%), hand function (100%), self-management education (96.6%) and fatigue management education (95.5%). Comfort with applying EULAR competency recommendations was generally high, but 11% reported difficulty assessing the educational needs of people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases and 9% with the ability to select and apply outcome measures.
The findings highlight the need for a structured capabilities framework for UK OTs in rheumatology to improve standardisation, career progression and quality of care.
开展一项在线调查，以探究风湿病职业治疗师（OTs）的临床角色和专业技能，为制定英国特定的能力框架提供信息，以提高护理质量和职业发展。
通过英国风湿病学会（BSR）成立的一个工作组设计并通过社交媒体和特定专业网络发布了一项在线调查。采用滚雪球抽样法。该调查收集了有关工作角色、工作环境、满意度水平、对国民健康服务体系变革议程职级适配性的认知以及对欧洲风湿病协会联盟（EULAR）核心能力的熟悉程度的数据。对回复进行描述性分析。
88名风湿病职业治疗师参与了调查。大多数人全职工作（18.2%），职级为6级（44.3%）或7级（46.6%），主要在急症科室工作（73.9%）。大多数人（75 - 90%）将时间用于直接临床接触，75%的人认为他们的工作描述准确反映了他们的角色，23%的人报告说他们没有接受足够的正规培训来履行工作职责。参与者履行了广泛的工作职责，包括对日常生活活动的评估和建议（97.7%）、手部功能（100%）、自我管理教育（96.6%）和疲劳管理教育（95.5%）。对应用EULAR能力建议的熟悉程度总体较高，但11%的人报告在评估风湿性和肌肉骨骼疾病患者的教育需求方面有困难，9%的人在选择和应用结果测量方法方面有困难。
研究结果凸显了为英国风湿病领域的职业治疗师制定结构化能力框架的必要性，以提高标准化程度、职业发展和护理质量。
