This review sheds light on telehealth and telerehabilitation services with a focus in occupational therapy practice. It summarizes clinical and research applications, benefits and impact, limitations, barriers and current needs, and recommendations for future adoption of more evidence-based occupational therapy telehealth services. Our review confirmed that telehealth is useful and can be an appropriate remote service delivery model for occupational therapy. Telehealth connects clients with occupational therapists through information and communication technologies, thereby improving easy access to services for underserved populations when in-person encounters are not possible or practical. Telerehabilitation provides occupational therapists and other healthcare professionals with flexibility to continue treating their patients while following best practices and ethical standards. Telehealth is needed nowadays more than ever and more research is recommended to further address current and future challenges and support expansion of telehealth applications in the field of rehabilitation and occupational therapy.

Background: Occupational therapy (OT) services are not widespread and not well-represented or integrated into many healthcare settings. As a result, OT is not available at many clinical and rehabilitation institutions, which has led to both poor access and reduced knowledge and benefit from OT in many countries worldwide and in the Arab region. Objective: To examine Arab healthcare professionals’ level of knowledge and perception of OT in an attempt to identify what action is required to enhance awareness and promote OT profession. Methods: A descriptive online survey was conducted for healthcare professionals from different disciplines and Arab countries to obtain their knowledge and perceptions of OT. Results: A total of 281 healthcare professionals completed the survey (57% were male). Of the total, only 96 (34.2%) have had worked with OT before, 144 (51.2%) were uncertain about the main domain of OT, 98 (34.9%) were not fully aware of the diverse OT healthcare work settings and different health conditions handled by OT, and 126 (44.8%) were not sure about the difference between OT and physical therapy (PT). Almost two third of the sample (187; 66.5%) were not satisfied with their knowledge of OT, 195 (69.4%) showed interest in learning further about OT, and 209 (74.4%) agreed that OT plays a vital role in the interdisciplinary rehabilitation team. There were significant associations between the participants’ knowledge of OT and their specialty (p = 0.01) and years of experience (p = 0.02). Conclusion: Most Arab healthcare professionals perceive OT as playing a vital role in the interdisciplinary rehabilitation team. However, OT is not clearly understood and healthcare professionals are not well-educated about OT services and benefits. There is an emerging need to educate healthcare professionals on the focus areas of OT practice. Promoting and advocating for OT is key and crucial.

Annals of International Occupational Therapy | Objective:The goal of this study was to examine perceptions of the occupational therapy profession among medical and health science students in Saudi Arabia.Methods:The study used a cross-sectional research study design with a survey method. A convenience sample of undergraduate medical and health science students was recruited from a medical college in Saudi Arabia. Approval was obtained from

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with increased stressful impact among different populations that are at an increased risk of mental health problems, such as university students. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical and rehabilitation sciences university students, explore the factors affecting them, and provide helpful recommendations for better mental health. METHODS: An online survey was conducted with a sample of medical and rehabilitation sciences students. The anxiety visual analogue scale, the perceived stress scale (PSS), and the impact of events scale-revised (IES-R) were applied. RESULTS: A total of 244 students completed the survey (60.7% were female). The mean scores of total anxiety, PSS and IES-R were significantly higher in females than males. 34.5% and 29.4% of the students reported that their sleep and appetite were respectively disturbed during the pandemic. Students with adequate knowledge about the COVID-19 pandemic reported a significant decrease in anxiety level (p = 0.01), perceived stress (p = 0.00), and less negative impacts of the pandemic (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: This study shed light on factors that play a major role in anxiety, perceived stress and stressful impact of COVID-19 pandemic among medical and health sciences students, such as gender, knowledge, educational level, presence of chronic condition, and family financial status. Developing proper mental health management guidelines and providing psychological support are recommended and should be considered.

Background: Despite the clearly identified roles and need for occupational therapy in primary care, guidance on a consistent global response is lacking. Purpose: This study aimed to gain insight into the global state of occupational therapy primary care services. Method: Data from an online survey of the 100 WFOT member organisations was grouped by country income levels; weighted global means and ANOVA were calculated. Results: Fifty-nine member organisations from five world regions responded, 33 (55.9%) representing high-income countries. Activities of daily living was the most addressed area; other health facilities (e.g., mental health services, rehabilitation services) were reported as a common setting. People with developmental disabilities, those with chronic illness/needs, and older adults were most likely to receive occupational therapy primary care services, with a higher likelihood of being financed by government (public) in one-on-one settings. Workforce supply, funding and training were consistently reported as key limiting factors for the profession in primary care. Implications: While recognizing regional histories and needs, it behooves the profession to work collectively to advance its capacity to provide primary care services. Key enablers to advance this area include workforce initiatives and funding access in line with a global workforce strategy for occupational therapy.