Occupational Therapy Interventions for Urinary Dysfunction in Primary Care: A Case Series

A holistic approach to assessing an individual with urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence can have an overwhelmingly negative impact on an individual's quality of life. The personal, physical, psychosocial and sexual implications of urinary incontinence can affect health and well-being. This can increase the risk of falls, depression, anxiety, social isolation alongside a greater need for long-term care from a individual's own home. Statically, the prevalence rates of urinary incontinence increases with age; however, incontinence is not an inevitable or acceptable part of ageing-symptoms can be improved and managed effectively for suffers of this common condition. Urinary incontinence can be challenging to assess, address and overcome for individuals. However health professionals need to have the expertise and experience to undertake a comprehensive continence assessment. When assessment is completed evidence-based interventions can be recommended, implemented and subsequently evaluated.

Describing Occupational Therapy Services in Primary Care Settings: A Qualitative Study

As occupational therapists gain recognition for their work in primary care, it is important to explore the services they provide within these settings. A qualitative study was employed whereby six licensed occupational therapists within the United States were invited via email to engage in semi-structured interviews. Interview transcripts were analyzed individually by six researchers and as a team using consensus coding. Four themes emerged: "Primary Care Benefits", "Occupational Therapy Process and Distinct Value", "Primary Care Interventions", and "Complexities of Primary Care: Patient Conditions and Challenges." Occupational therapists described a range of benefits to being positioned within primary care. Problem solving around patient barriers, funding and logistical challenges are important considerations. Emphasizing 'occupation-based practice' and 'doing' within therapy are vital for occupational therapists who wish to advocate for their services and apply their distinct skill set within primary care settings.

Role of Occupational Therapy in Primary Care

The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) affirms that occupational therapy practitioners1 are well prepared to contribute to interprofessional collaborative care teams addressing the primary care needs of individuals across the life course. Because of an increased focus on preventive population health and social determinants of health by health care organizations, synergy between primary care and occupational therapy is growing, with support for client-centered,2 comprehensive whole-person care, health promotion and prevention, disease self-management, and quality of life (Halle et al., 2018). Occupational therapy practitioners’ distinct knowledge of the significant impact that roles, habits, and routines have on health and wellness makes their contribution to primary care valuable (AOTA, 2020b). Occupational therapy’s focus on meaningful engagement in occupations is relevant and vital to participation in individual, family, and community life (AOTA, 2020c). In addition, occupational therapy practitioners’ holistic and population perspectives allow them to be effective both as interprofessional health care team members and as direct care providers to support client, family, and community needs in primary care delivery models (Leland et al., 2017). The purposes of this position paper are to define primary care and to describe occupational therapy’s evolving and advancing role in primary care, including expansion of services into specialty primary care areas such as pediatric primary care and obstetrics and gynecology (AOTA, 2018).

Occupational Therapy in Primary Care: Positioned and Prepared to Be a Vital Part of the Team

Reilly's (1962) now deeply cherished statement that "man, through the use of his hands, as they are energized by mind and will, can influence the state of his own health" (p. 1) was followed a few years later with a question to current and future occupational therapy practitioners. In 1966, Reilly asked how the profession would respond to the challenges of an expanding knowledge base, accelerating health care costs, and escalating regulatory burden. Visionary Wilma West, a contemporary of Reilly's, expanded on these themes by focusing on ways occupational therapy practitioners could leverage the breadth and depth of their practice to confront these challenges. These issues are now paramount in the primary care arena. An expanding body of literature, including the articles in a special section in this issue of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, supports occupational therapy's role as a vital part of the solution to contemporary health care challenges. Occupational therapy practitioners are educationally prepared and successfully poised through policy to engage in evidence-based practice in the primary care environment.