Exploring occupational therapy work intervention procedures for the public healthcare sector in Gauteng province

Abstract

Occupational therapists form part of the vocational rehabilitation multidisciplinary team, in returning patients back to work after any form of injury or illness. Among the services that they provide is work intervention procedures, which is comprised of different components that are implemented to rehabilitate patients’ work occupation, in order to ensure entry into, and/or return to the open labour market. The right of South African citizens’ opportunity to work is protected by specific legislation. When this right is affected by illness, injury or disability, the National Health Insurance system intervenes and ensures adequate healthcare services that are delivered equitably. The public healthcare services are delivered to over 84% of the South African population, of which a majority is dependent on public healthcare for medical intervention, including rehabilitation from different professions such as occupational therapists. To rehabilitate patients’ work occupation, occupational therapists follow different procedures as part of intervention. When researched, however, it was found that when this intervention was executed, it occurred haphazardly. The aim of the study was to explore the occupational therapy work intervention procedures that should be implemented by occupational therapists in the Gauteng public healthcare sector. A qualitative, explorative and descriptive research design was used. Data was collected through a workshop, working from an appreciative stance. Purposive sampling was used. Seventeen occupational therapists who practised in vocational rehabilitation and implemented work intervention procedures in the Gauteng public healthcare sector attended the workshop. Data was analysed using the creative hermeneutic data analysis method. The work intervention procedures for occupational therapists were generated. Client-centredness was identified to be at the heart of work intervention procedures, which entail different components, such as legislation, empowerment, assessment, planning, prevocational and vocational skills, work visit, job analysis, work hardening and conditioning, placement and follow-up. Occupational Therapy work intervention procedures for the public healthcare sector in the Gauteng province, were successfully explored and generated. The results showed that although there are procedures that can be followed in work intervention, the implementation process is not linear, and the procedures should be customised to individual patients.