Concept of Occupational Therapy | Report

Running head: PROFESSIONAL ISSUES 1
Occupational Therapy
Name
Institution

PROFESSIONAL ISSUES 2
Occupational Therapy
Introduction
The society has people who go through different challenges and who need assistance to find
meaning to their lives. People of all ages can suffer from cognitive, physical, sensory, or
neurological problems and they struggle with having independence in their daily activities. These
people find it extremely difficult to do their jobs, take care of themselves, engage in social
activities, or move around. This is why occupational therapists are an important part of society
because they teach these individuals how to adapt. Occupational therapy is a healthcare field that
focuses on improving the abilities of a client to take part in activities of daily living thus helping
the client to regain their independence in every area of their lives. The practice of occupational
therapy must, however, be guided by ethics, effective communication, and absolute
professionalism. This essay, therefore, intends to describe communication skills in a healthcare
environment. The essay further talks about the legal and ethical considerations both clinical and
non-clinical occupational therapy practices. The essay finally addresses the professional practice
required to offer clients optimal care.
Communication Issues
Communication is a very important aspect of growth and success at a place of work. Effective
communication in the workplace is achieved when a positive work environment can be created
and maintained. Effective communication is believed to lead to high levels of performance
because employees can share ideas and information (Husain, 2013). Communication helps in
avoiding confusion, building a positive organizational culture, creating accountability, and
providing purpose. It is also important to note that this kind of communication must originate

PROFESSIONAL ISSUES 3
from the top leadership down to the juniors as this is what separates a great leader from a good
one. Communication at the place of work is vital because it helps in defining the organization’s
goals and create a culture of teamwork and collaboration.
It is also worth noting that sometimes communication is non-effective and the message of the top
leadership is not passed down to every other employee as effectively as required. Some research
findings have revealed a statistic that indicates that approximately 57% of employees do not get
clear directions from their bosses. The same studies have also revealed that around 69% of
managers do not feel comfortable communicating with their employees (Holmes & Stubbe,
2015). This is a clear indication that communication at the workplace needs to be improved
massively to ensure organizational growth and success. It is, therefore, important to develop a
communication process that is healthy and beneficial.
Effective communication is a good component of occupational therapy due to the following
reasons: it encourages patient adherence to medication and improves patient satisfaction thus
leading to better health outcomes (Borghi, Johnson, Barlascini, Moja & Vegni, 2016). One of the
effective communication elements in occupational therapy is the use of questioning skills during
the initial interview. The importance of these skills is that they help the therapist in building a
rapport with the client (Price, 2017). As a result, the occupational therapist can come up with an
appropriate treatment plan for the patient. This element is important as it helps in building a
healthy patient-doctor relationship. Occupation therapy is a client-centered profession and it is,
therefore important to build strong client-doctor relationships. Good interviewing skills during
communication are therefore important in understanding the patient and giving them the care that
they need (Price, 2017). Empathetic communication skills such as being able to show
compassion and emotion during communication are also important in occupational therapy.

PROFESSIONAL ISSUES 4
These skills show that the therapist is understanding and is eager to assist the client in the
process of treatment and healing. Empathy is an essential value that improves the quality of
patient care and encourages a healthy patient-doctor relationship. This is because the patient feels
valued, respected and understand thus making the healing process better (LaVela et al., 2017).
Studies have shown that when there is a feeling of trust between the client and their doctor then
implementation of interventions becomes easier.
Non-effective communication skills such as one way communication, disregard of emotions, and
getting personal are not good attributes of an occupational therapist. These kinds of
communication elements create an uncomfortable environment for the client thus preventing
them from expressing their true feelings. As a result, patient satisfaction is lowered which
reduces the quality of care due to poor implementation of health interventions thus affecting
health outcomes (Epner & Baile, 2014).
Occupational therapists should, therefore, aim for effective communication skills to help in
improving their clients’ health outcomes. This can be done by employing some useful strategies
that influence good communication. The occupational therapist should focus on the issue the
client is going through rather than focusing on the patient (Kibe, 2014). This shows that he cares
and is interested in helping the patient. Additionally, the therapist should be able to empathize
with the patient instead of detaching themselves. Using words of affirmation is also important
because it shows the client that the therapist acknowledges their experience.
Ethical and Legal Issues
Any professional practice is faced with different legal and ethical challenges. Occupational
therapy, in particular, is faced with these challenges to the point that they have become almost