The role of the occupational therapist in Jordan: a survey of the members of the healthcare team exploring their knowledge about occupational therapy in rehabilitation hospitals

Abstract

Purpose: Occupational therapy (OT) is a developing profession that has only been introduced to Jordanian hospitals 18 years ago. The main objective of this study was to explore the level of knowledge the healthcare team members in Jordanian rehabilitation hospitals have about OT.

Method: Two hundred and fifty questionnaires were distributed to different members in the healthcare team in three major hospitals in Jordan. One hundred fifty-three questionnaires were returned and used for analysis.

Results: Collectively, the results revealed a fair knowledge level about OT among the healthcare team members in rehabilitation, who stated that the main responsibilities of this profession were rehabilitation for activities of daily living, hand therapy and increasing the quality of life for disabled people. Furthermore, the majority of the respondents agreed that OT is a vital profession that plays an important role in rehabilitation teams, and expressed their expectations of developing standards and regulations for this profession.

Conclusion: Actions should be channelled towards educating members of the team about OT through university curriculum. It is critical that the Jordanian Ministry of Health establishes specific statements and regulations which clarify the role of the OT within different settings of the healthcare system.