Identifying Occupational Therapy Research Priorities in Trinidad and Tobago: A Group Concept Mapping Study.
Savannah Murray-Mendes, Anastasia Raquel Martinez, Katie L Hackett
PMID 34729058WHAT IT FOUND
Occupational therapists and students in Trinidad and Tobago prioritized research into public health sector roles and school-based services.
They viewed these areas as most important but less feasible than practitioner development, which was rated highly feasible but least important.
Key findings
01Participants identified seven research priority clusters, with 'OT Contributions to the Public Health Sector' rated as the most important theme.
02While public health research was rated most important, it was only fifth out of seven for feasibility, whereas 'Contextualising Practitioner Development' was rated most feasible but least important.
03Specific actionable priorities included exploring the role of OT in public health and investigating the correlation between accessing OT services and improved school performance.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample size was small (25 participants) and varied across stages, with only 13 completing the sorting activity. Data saturation was not achieved in the brainstorming stage, meaning other relevant research topics may have been missed. Feasibility ratings showed little variation across clusters, making it difficult to distinguish truly high-priority actionable items from moderately feasible ones. Some demographic data was missing because participants skipped questions during the online process.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by the Trinidad and Tobago Occupational Therapy Association (TTOTA), whose member acted as a gatekeeper and assisted with recruitment and analysis.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these priorities as evidence that these interventions work. This study identifies what therapists believe is important to research, not the effectiveness of the treatments themselves.