Preliminary Professional Competency Standards for Occupational Therapists in India: A Global Review and Adaptation

Abstract

Background: Competency is the ability to apply knowledge and skills efficiently to achieve required outcomes, typically measured through performance. Professional competency standards in healthcare describe the specific knowledge, skills, and attributes required for practice. In India, the occupational therapy (OT) profession is gaining recognition, highlighting a need for national competency standards to improve quality of care and professional visibility.

Objective: The overall aim of this study is to create a draft set of professional competency standards for occupational therapists in India by reviewing, synthesizing, and adapting existing competencies published in other parts of the world.

Study design: Formative research design involving document analysis of global competency standards and an adaptive process in collaboration with the Indian Occupational Therapists Think Tank (IOTTT) to develop a draft set of professional competency standards for Indian OTs.

Methods: An iterative Delphi process was used. An Expert Working Group (EWG) was formed with three IOTTT executive members. A document analysis was conducted to gather and critically analyze existing OT competency standards. Competency documents were identified from professional associations and regulatory bodies worldwide. The analysis followed the framework method, involving a series of steps to extract and analyze data to create a draft set of competency standards for Indian OTs. The coadaptation process included individual reviews, scoring, and review meetings with the EWG.

Results: Document analysis revealed 31 OT competency standards, with 12 meeting the inclusion criteria, including documents from Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Mauritius, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Singapore, Sweden, the UK, and the USA. After the iterative decision-making process, a draft set identified 15 competency domains, 97 competency standards, and 2 61 competency indicators, including essential competencies across various aspects of OT practice.

Conclusions: We prepared the draft set of Indian OT competency standards that reflected global practices and adapted to the Indian context. The next steps are further refinement of the document with iterative feedback from other IOTTT members and contributing OTs, followed by a collaboration with the All-India Occupational Therapy Association for endorsement and implementation, ensuring relevance to the Indian context.

Keywords: Clinical Competence; Ethics; Evidence-based Practice; Occupational Therapy; Professional Competence.

Figure 1. Study Methods

Figure 2. Results of Review and Selection

Figure 3. A Flow Chart for the Steps Involved in Data Extraction and Analysis Using Framework Method.

WFOT: World Federation of Occupational Therapists

Figure 4. Results After Initial and Final Review

*2 or more “exclude,” †Agreement by all reviewers for “inclusion,” ‡Discussed: “uncertain” or discrepancy with “remove” and “keep”