Hello Joe, I believe that one of the major obstacles facing OT is that quite a few OTs are providing misleading information to referral sources, patients, other professionals and the general public regarding exactly what they do as a profession. If you poll nurses, you will generally get those that feel OT does the upper body and those that feel OT does ADL. It is a direct consequence of occupational therapists framing themselves in a context not based in the framework of their profession. How many times have you seen physician referrals regarding OT for upper extremity ROM? How many times have you heard reports of lackluster interest in past OT coupled with enthusiasm for PT with the stated reason, "I just want to walk." Could it be that the PT goal of improving the ability to walk has a more tangible benefit to the patient (sarcasm intended)? Don't get me wrong, I'm not stating that there can't be a tangible beneift to OT, but patient's don't see that benefit if the OT only marches in to do UE exercise and help them get dressed.
Jimmie -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Joe Wells Sent: Monday, July 11, 2005 7:42 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Re[2]: [OTlist] Army OT/PT Descriptions Hi Ron: OTAs can enlist in the army. Additionally, the army does train its own OTAs as well. http://www.cs.amedd.army.mil/dms/otbranch/default.htm. They are usually called OT specialists in the army. I agree that our product is diverse and thus, the scope is wide. I am convinced that if we all accept that with different settings our practice mode may differ (i.e. one aspect of the domain may take precedence over the other, e.g. a hand clinic versus a shelter-home versus an acute care hospital) although not deviating from our core principles that thread us together, we will still be able to package our product. Our profession may be fluid but we can give it the shape of a container. Barring just a few inconsistencies, I felt the AOTA framework is a commendable tool to introspect our own practice similarities and differences (explain what we do internally), find that 'thread' that binds the OT community together and then externalize it as an easily identifiable product (1). I hope that this could be a part of the OT curriculum as well, so that all new grads can identify with a common practice framework versus what one school wanted to follow over the other. I believe it is now is a part of the ACOTE standards. Other links: http://www.goarmy.com/amedd/army_health_care_corps.jsp- Recruiting as an OT http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/navynec/blhm8467.htm Recruiting as an OTA 1. AOTA (2002). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and processs. American Jouranal Occupational Therapy. 56, 609-639. Joe ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ron Carson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Joe Wells" <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, July 11, 2005 1:56 AM Subject: Re[2]: [OTlist] Army OT/PT Descriptions > Hello Joe: > > Good idea to do further investigating and great links, thanks! > > The Army brochure that I used for my quoted does contain comprehensive > info about OT. Perhaps I should have included some quotes relating to > group therapy, alcohol rehab, etc. > > Maybe I missed it, but I haven't read anything about the Army using > OTA's. I am interested to hear if they in fact, they do. > > One of the reasons I posted my original message is because of the recent > discussions about marketing "out product". I am convinced that our > product is too diverse, inconsistent and misunderstood to market. Until, > the profession of OT's internal structure is more clearly defined, I > think that marketing is not a good use of resources. > > Somehow, AOTA and practicing OT's, must develop a model of theory and > practice that is specialized, understood by both internal and external > audiences, deliverable and practiced. To date, in my opinion this has > not happened. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Joe Wells <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Sunday, July 10, 2005 > To: [email protected] <[email protected]> > Subj: [OTlist] Army OT/PT Descriptions > > JW> Hi Ron: > > JW> Just out of curiousity, I checked the Walter Reed Medical Center > website > JW> http://www.wramc.amedd.army.mil/departments/Ortho/PhysMed/otscope.htm. > The > JW> OT scope explained there is a little more comprehensive. I also > checked the > JW> PT scope at > JW> http://www.wramc.amedd.army.mil/departments/Ortho/PhysMed/ptscope.htm > and > JW> found the scopes to have a lot of areas overlapping. In the military, > my > JW> guess is that the model is very transdisciplinary. I believe the > student > JW> appointment is an internship (level II fieldwork) affiliation since > there > JW> are no OT academic programs in the Army, although as you mentioned, > they do > JW> have a DPT program at the US Army- Baylor University > JW> (http://www.amsc.amedd.army.mil/training.asp). The army does train > its own > JW> OTAs. More on the OT internship program > JW> http://www.amsc.amedd.army.mil/Doc/otintership.pdf. Do we have any > army OTs > JW> on the board ? It would be nice to hear about their army expeeiences. > > JW> Other Army sites: > JW> http://www.wramc.amedd.army.mil/departments/Ortho/index.htm > JW> http://www.amsc.amedd.army.mil/about.asp > > JW> Joe > > > > > > -- > Unsubscribe? > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Change options? > www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com > > Archive? > www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > Help? > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > -- Unsubscribe? 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