Access to Outpatient Occupational Therapy Services After Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitalization in the Veterans Health Administration.
Adam R Kinney, Molly E Penzenik, Jeri E Forster and 3 others
PMID 40472377WHAT IT FOUND
Only 13% of Veterans received outpatient occupational therapy after psychiatric discharge.
Having daily living limitations did not predict access. Instead, Black and Hispanic Veterans, and those at lower-quality facilities, were less likely to receive services, suggesting access is driven by nonclinical factors.
Key findings
01Only 13% of Veterans received outpatient occupational therapy within 90 days of discharge from inpatient psychiatric care.
02Veterans with documented ADL limitations were not more likely to receive outpatient occupational therapy than those without limitations.
03Black and Hispanic Veterans were less likely to receive outpatient occupational therapy services compared to White, non-Hispanic Veterans.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
ADL performance was measured at admission, which may not reflect functional status at discharge when referral decisions are made. ADL limitations are a narrow indicator of need for occupational therapy and may not capture the full scope of occupational therapy practice, such as engagement in personally meaningful activities. The study could not measure occupational therapy encounters focused primarily on mental health-related barriers to occupational performance. The study did not identify occupational therapy visits delivered outside the VHA system, potentially underestimating total utilization.
Declared interests
The provided text does not contain a specific disclosure statement regarding conflicts of interest or funding sources.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that outpatient occupational therapy is ineffective or unnecessary because it was not associated with ADL limitations. The study indicates that access to these services is not being allocated based on documented ADL needs, suggesting a system-level failure in referral or access rather than a lack of clinical utility.