Enabling Access to Rehabilitation in Acute Care: Exploring Physiotherapists’ and Occupational Therapists’ Perspectives on Patient Care When Assistants Become the Primary Therapy Providers

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore physiotherapists' and occupational therapists' perspectives on how the implementation of a new model of care in the acute medicine setting has affected their practice and patient care outcomes. Method: A qualitative case study was used to gain an in-depth understanding of therapists' experiences. Semi-structured, in-person interviews (45-60 min long) were conducted with eight clinicians (four occupational therapists and four physiotherapists). We used an iterative process of discussion and questioning to interpret the themes emerging from the data. Results: The findings are grouped into four categories - change in the therapist-patient relationship, change in therapists' access to first-hand patient information, developing processes to enhance information exchange, and developing processes to support patient care delivery - and two themes - therapists' expectations of patient care outcomes and redefining the value of the occupational therapists' and physiotherapists' role in contributing to patient care. Conclusions: Participants described the process of adapting their professional skills and behaviours as they evolved into the role of manager of therapy care. Occupational therapists and physiotherapists recognized the potential for occupational therapist assistants (OTAs) and physiotherapist assistants (PTAs) to provide more frequent and consistent care. The therapists highlighted the necessity of ensuring that effective working processes and interactions between the therapist and the OTAs and PTAs were in place to ensure high-quality patient care.