Today in class, I learned an interesting fact that OTs get sued the least compared to other health professions. I started to make guesses on why that was. Our therapeutic use of self is most likely one reason. Creating a therapeutic relationship with the client is in our scope of practice. Other professions may not have the same relationship with clients. The relationship is evident even in the beginning stages of evaluation during the interview part. Professor Lancaster pointed out that another reason may be that OTs are typically better at documentation. I think this is because we are trained to pay close attention to the details of our client.
The documentation and legal aspect of occupational therapy can be intimidating to students. (At least it is to me!) I have also heard insurance can be a difficult aspect of the profession. I am excited to continue learning about the ins and outs of these subjects.
I also found this fact very interesting, Annese. It is encouraging that we are not sued as much! It is interesting to see how we can connect differently to our patients than some other medical professions.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Documentation is no fun-- but it can change lives!