Abstract
The study examines the need for OT services in rural areas of the Midwest, focusing on the roles, challenges, and motivations of OTs across themes, which include challenges, motivation, job traits, and geography.
Primary Author and Speaker: Stacey Huffman
Additional Authors and Speakers: Leslie L. Jackson
Contributing Authors: Madeline Preston, Ayla Fleming, Abby Summers, Jessica Garza
This study aims to explore occupational therapists’ experiences in rural areas, concentrating on the Midwestern United States, identifying the limiting factors and motivations rural occupational therapists may experience. We do not fully understand why there is a shortage of occupational therapists practicing in rural areas. The limited literature in the US indicates that the workforce shortage in rural areas is caused by several factors: inadequate compensations, lack of knowledge of the occupational therapy profession, inadequate referrals, geographical challenges, and minimal resources (Missen et al., 2021 and Hayes et al., 2021). This phenomenological study used an electronic survey to gather insights from OTPs in rural practice. Participants in the Midwest who had experience in rural practice were selected through convenience and snowball sampling. Data was collected via a survey of 24 multiple-choice and five open-ended questions designed for OTs and OTAs in rural settings. Responses were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively through thematic coding. The open-ended responses allowed for in-depth qualitative insights, while quantitative data provided demographic and practice-related statistics to enhance understanding of rural OT experiences. Five Themes were identified, including challenges and barriers, motivation and influence, job traits, geographical contexts, and common diagnosis, which shed light on the lived experiences of OTPs in rural practice. The study found that rural occupational therapists experience a sense of value and appreciation in their work despite the challenges. Their motivations are often tied to the strong community ties they develop, which can be a source of inspiration and optimism for the future of rural OT practice. The study concludes that addressing rural OT shortages requires targeted incentives to attract practitioners.
Missen, K. (2021). Evaluation of an assessment model to reduce waitlist times for occupational therapy in a rural community health setting. The Australian Journal of Rural Health. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.12806
Hayes, K., Morante, D., Costigan, M., & Dos Santos, V. (2021). Occupational therapy services provided to populations in non-urban: A scoping review protocol. JBI Evidence Synthesis. https://doi.org/DOI: 10.11124/JBIES-20-00242
Pidgeon, F. (2015). Occupational therapy: What does this look like practiced in very remote Indigenous areas? Rural Remote Health, 15(2), 3002. http://doi.org/10.22605/RRH3002
Ratcliffe, M., Burd, C., Holder, K., & Fields, A. (2016). Defining Rural at the U.S. Census Bureau. Accessed at https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2016/acs/acsgeo-1.pdf