Occupational therapists' application of the Do-Live-Well framework: A Canadian health promotion approach.
Sungha Kim, Nadine Larivière, Ilana Bayer and 2 others
PMID 35989612WHAT IT FOUND
Occupational therapists found the Do-Live-Well framework useful for client-centred care but struggled to apply it due to time, space, and lack of step-by-step guidance.
Many assumed they needed to use the entire framework, which felt overwhelming, rather than selecting specific concepts.
Key findings
01Therapists valued the framework for grounding practice in meaningful occupation and supporting client-centred goal setting.
02Barriers to implementation included limited time, lack of physical space, and the framework's non-prescriptive nature, which made it difficult to apply without step-by-step guidelines.
03Some therapists believed the framework was unsuitable for clients with unmet basic needs, cognitive impairments, or young children due to its abstract concepts.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study did not include client perspectives or outcomes, so it is unknown if the framework actually improved client health or satisfaction. Interviews took place during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, which heavily distorted practice contexts and resource availability. Some researchers were core members of the DLW development team, introducing potential bias in interpreting the findings. The sample was small (n=18) and self-selected from workshop attendees, limiting generalisability to OTs who did not seek this training.
Declared interests
Some of the researchers were core members of the Do-Live-Well team, which the authors state allowed for deep understanding but implies a conflict of interest in evaluating the framework's uptake.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these themes as evidence that the Do-Live-Well framework improves patient outcomes. This study reports only on therapists' perceptions of barriers and facilitators to adoption; it measured no clinical results.