OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY RESEARCH: INSIGHTS INTO IMPACT

Background: The UK Occupational Therapy Research Foundation (UKOTRF) supports research that builds the evidence-base for occupational therapy and increases research capacity within the profession (White, 2013). Capturing... [ view full abstract ]

Background:
The UK Occupational Therapy Research Foundation (UKOTRF) supports research that builds the evidence-base for occupational therapy and increases research capacity within the profession (White, 2013). Capturing research impact is complex, and multidimensional, yet must be part of the UKOTRF agenda to determine whether funded research is informing practice (Sainty, 2013).

Method:
UKOTRF principal investigators have, since 2014, been required to submit a progress report that includes areas of potential impact: research outputs/advancement of knowledge, implementation in practice, community/public benefit, and economic benefit. Reports are scheduled at agreed monitoring points, on completion and two years post-completion.

In addition to contractual dissemination requirements (British Journal of Occupational Therapy and College of Occupational Therapists (COT) Annual Conference submissions), an eye-catching ‘Summary of key findings’ template has been developed by COT to facilitate timely promotion of project findings.

Results:
Principal investigators have engaged positively with the enhanced progress reporting, providing accounts of a range of activities taking place beyond the achievement of contractual deliverables. Examples include presentations to students, collaborative partnerships, follow-on funding, and active involvement of practitioners and service users. Specific details of adoption of findings or recommendations into occupational therapy practice nonetheless remain tenuous, highlighting the need for a longer-term perspective.

Conclusion:
Encouraging research grant holders to think laterally about their activities, throughout the life of a project, provides rich insights into potential for impact.

Application to Practice:
UKOTRF key findings summaries should be revisited, with principal investigators, focusing on gathering intelligence on how their research has been taken-up in practice.