Why should employers and insurers contract occupational therapy services?
Providing medical treatment alone is often insufficient to improve an individual’s ability to return to work or sustain work performance. The return-to-work literature demonstrates that the physical disability is the smallest barrier to re-entering the workplace. Once the doctor has provided a return-to-work note, the other barriers remain to be addressed. These may include: coworker relationships, ongoing pain, occupational bond with the employer and physical demands of the job, etc. The occupational therapist brings a unique understanding of these issues to the workplace. The skills and knowledge base of therapists will allow a bridging of the gap between disability and worker roles. The employer requires a professional who not only understands the medical side of the injury or illness but also has the ability to understand the workplace and the impact of the injury on the abilities of the individual in a productive role. Occupational therapists’ unique understanding of the relations
