Developing OT-Peer Led Interventions to Support Healthcare Justice for People with Disabilities

Background: The United Nation’s (2006) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities identifies healthcare as a human right. People with physical disabilities face significant barriers to healthcare access, quality... [ view full abstract ]

Background: The United Nation’s (2006) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities identifies healthcare as a human right. People with physical disabilities face significant barriers to healthcare access, quality and outcomes (Iezzoni, 2011). To date, occupational therapy practitioners have not played a significant role in research and intervention development aimed at helping the people we serve access healthcare services. In this presentation, we will highlight the process of developing disability peer-occupational therapy led interventions to improve healthcare access, quality and outcomes for people with physical disabilities.
Method: We used a community-based participatory research approach to develop to two interventions aimed at improving healthcare access, quality and outcomes for people with physical disabilities. Interventions are based on our model of healthcare access for people with disabilities.
Results: Academic, disability community and clinical partners worked together to co-create 1) a PHN intervention and 2) an OT-peer led educational intervention to build people with disabilities' capacity to negotiate the healthcare system. Both interventions apply the OT processes of goal setting, identification of barriers, and action planning. We will report the development and pilot testing of both interventions. Strengths and challenges of the community-clinical-academic partnership will be discussed, including strategies to equalize power dynamics.
Conclusion: Occupational therapists in partnership with people with disabilities can co-create targeted interventions that address healthcare disparities among people with disabilities.
Application to Practice: By translating occupational therapy intervention processes to community partners, occupational therapy practitioners can positively impact social and healthcare justice for people with disabilities.