Occupational therapy service provision in adult intensive care units in Australia: A survey of workload practices, interventions and barriers.
Andrea Rapolthy-Beck, Jennifer Fleming, Merrill Turpin
PMID 35224739WHAT IT FOUND
Most Australian ICU therapists work ad hoc with no formal service arrangement.
Staffing shortages are the main barrier. Common daily tasks include bed-based self-care retraining and movement, but structured outcome measures and mental health interventions are rarely used.
Key findings
01Over half of the units surveyed had no formal arrangement for occupational therapy services, relying on ad hoc support.
02Staffing allocation was the most frequently reported barrier to providing a comprehensive service.
03Daily interventions focused on bed-based activities and physical care, while mental health and technology-based interventions were rarely used.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample was small and self-selected, with no respondents from rural areas. Many respondents had limited experience in intensive care settings. The survey was not distributed to all ICUs nationally due to funding and governance constraints. Incomplete responses were included in the analysis, which may affect the reliability of specific data points.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The study was funded by Metro South Health.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the low use of specific interventions as a lack of clinical need. The survey indicates these gaps are primarily driven by staffing shortages and a lack of formal service arrangements, not by therapist preference or evidence that these interventions are ineffective.