RCOT has embarked on a major new research project to define the occupational therapy profession’s research priorities. What are the big questions that occupational therapists, service users and carers in the UK want answered?
RCOT’s research priorities were most recently defined in 2007 in Building the evidence for occupational therapy: Priorities for research. As the RCOT’s research and development review moves towards drafting the new research and development strategy, the time is now right to establish the UK occupational therapy profession’s research priorities for the future.
The research priorities will be established through a collaborative project between occupational therapists, service users and carers. There will be many opportunities for you to get involved as a member of the steering group, a project partner or responding to the survey questionnaire.
Your input is vital to help shape the future direction of occupational therapy research in the UK.
It’s unusual to work on a project where the outcome is a series of questions rather than answers, but it’s a great opportunity to set the future agenda for occupational therapy research
A collaborative project
In order to deliver this project fairly, enabling equal input from professional and lay participants, a robust method is required. This is one of the reasons that the RCOT has decided to work with the James Lind Alliance (JLA), a non-profit initiative supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).
How does a PSP work?
The Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) operates as a seven-stage process. First, we will establish a steering group with representation from occupational therapists, service users and carers. If you would like to be considered to become a member of the steering group then please read more about the project and complete the expression of interest form.
Membership of the group will be spread across service users, carers and occupational therapists working in a variety of settings, and represents a wonderful opportunity to make a valuable contribution to your profession in addition to offering a rich continuing professional development experience.
Reasonable expenses will be covered by the project budget and occupational therapist members of the steering group will have the opportunity to engage with service users and carers in a unique setting to find out what’s really important to them.