Profile of the profession of occupational therapy in the Czech Republic

Summary

Background: The Czech Republic with a population of 10.7 million has approximately 1,350 occupational therapists (OT). No detailed information about them has been made available yet. The Czech OT Association needs more information about OTs working in the CR and their status to facilitate further development of the profession. Aim: The aim of the study was to show a real profile of the OT profession in the Czech Republic. Methods: A web-based questionnaire with 32 questions was prepared and distributed through email and social media. Applying the snowball method, 315 fully completed questionnaires were collected and analysed with descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 315 OTs (of whom four were men) completed the questionnaire. Among the respondents, 84% were women below the age of 40. As concerns the education level, 236 OTs have a bachelor’s and 27 have a Masters degree in occupational therapy. Moreover, 49 OTs have a different Masters degree. Practising OTs often work in regions where there is an OT university programme. Among the respondents, 77% work in healthcare, 18% in social care and 2% in education. Only 2% have a private practice. OTs provide therapy to all persons with disabilities, from premature infants to the elderly, but mostly to adults (68%). Only 15% offer home visits. OTs can be newly found in palliative care, oncology, midwifery and addictology. Conclusion: This study has provided the Czech OT Association with a more comprehensive picture of occupational therapy in the CR. The results can be used for better communication with stakeholders, health insurance companies, OTs’ (potential) employers, OTs themselves and their international organisations.

Keywords:

occupational therapy – Czech Republic – profession profile – interprofessional team