Barriers and enablers to the delivery and implementation of the tailored activity programme in Australia: Perspectives of occupational therapists and their managers.
Sally Bennett, Catherine Travers, Jacki Liddle and 8 others
PMID 36397718WHAT IT FOUND
Occupational therapists and managers in Queensland saw the tailored activity programme as core to their role but flagged three major hurdles: fitting 7-8 home visits into busy caseloads, securing funding within existing models, and gauging whether carers have the time and emotional capacity to commit to the intervention.
Key findings
01Most therapists viewed the programme as congruent with their professional identity, though they noted a lack of public understanding of occupational therapy could hinder uptake.
02Workload capacity and funding were the primary practical barriers, with therapists concerned about the time required for 7-8 sessions and managers unsure how to accommodate costs within current service models.
03Carer readiness, including their stress levels, time availability, and willingness to have a therapist in their home, was identified as a critical factor influencing participation.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Participants were only exposed to a brief description of TAP, not trained in or experienced with delivering it, so their views may not reflect the realities of implementation. The study was limited to Queensland, so findings may not generalise to other Australian states or territories with different service models. The sample was skewed towards non-government organisations and female participants, potentially missing perspectives from other sectors or genders.
Declared interests
Professor Laura Gitlin, the developer and licensee of TAP, is an author but did not collect, analyse, or interpret the data. One author is a member of the journal's editorial board. The study was funded by a National Health and Medical Research Council grant.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the therapists' enthusiasm for the programme as evidence that it is currently available or routinely delivered in Australia. The study reports perceptions of barriers to implementation, not outcomes of actual patient care, and TAP is not yet part of routine practice in this context.