World Federation of Occupational Therapists' Position Statement on Telehealth

Authors

  • World Federation of Occupational Therapists University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ijt.2014.6153

Abstract

The purpose of this document is to state the World Federation of Occupational Therapists’ (WFOT) position on the use of telehealth for the delivery of occupational therapy services. Telehealth is the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to deliver health-related services when the provider and client are in different physical locations. Additional terms used to describe this service delivery model include: tele-occupational therapy, telerehabilitation, teletherapy, telecare, telemedicine, and telepractice, among other terms. Telehealth may be used by occupational therapy practitioners for evaluation, intervention, monitoring, supervision, and consultation (between remote therapist, client, and/or local health-care provider) as permitted by jurisdictional, institutional, and professional regulations and policies governing the practice of occupational therapy.
Occupational therapy services via telehealth should be appropriate to the individuals, groups and cultures served,
and contextualized to the occupations and interests of clients. Important considerations related to licensure/registration, collaboration with local occupational therapists, client selection, consent to treat, professional liability insurance, confidentiality, personal and cultural attributes, provider competence/standards of care, reimbursement/payer guidelines, and authentic occupational therapy practice are discussed.

  

References

World Federation of Occupational Therapists [WFOT]. (2013). Definitions of occupational therapy from member organisations (revised 2013 October). Retrieved from

http://www.wfot.org/ResourceCentre.aspx

United Nations. (2006). Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/conventionfull.shtml

World Health Organization & World Bank. (2011). World report on disability. Retrieved from http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2011/9789240685215_eng.pdf

World Federation of Occupational Therapists [WFOT]. (2005). Code of Ethics (revised 2005). Retrieved from http://www.wfot.org/ResourceCentre.aspx

World Federation of Occupational Therapists [WFOT]. (2013). Working as an occupational therapist in another country. Retrieved from http://www.wfot.org/ResourceCentre.aspx

World Federation of Occupational Therapists [WFOT]. (2010). Client-centredness in occupational therapy. Retrieved from http://www.wfot.org/ResourceCentre.aspx

World Federation of Occupational Therapists [WFOT]. (2009). Guiding principles on diversity and culture. Retrieved from http://www.wfot.org/ResourceCentre/tabid/132/did/306/Default.aspx

World Federation of Occupational Therapists [WFOT]. (2010). Diversity and Culture. Retrieved from http://www.wfot.org/ResourceCentre.aspx

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Published

2014-09-03

How to Cite

Occupational Therapists, W. F. of. (2014). World Federation of Occupational Therapists’ Position Statement on Telehealth. International Journal of Telerehabilitation, 6(1), 37–40. https://doi.org/10.5195/ijt.2014.6153

Issue

Vol. 6, No. 1, Spring 2014

Section

Policy

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