Mapping service improvement in occupational therapy: A scoping review

Service improvement involves efforts to produce change, yielding better health outcomes, system performance, and professional development. As engagement in service improvement by health and social care professionals is not a given, the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) has piloted an Innovation Hub to build knowledge on service improvement in occupational therapy. The aim of this scoping review is to map current service improvement in occupational therapy by addressing: (1) what is the occupational therapy experience of service improvement? (2) what are barriers and facilitators to occupational therapy service improvement? This scoping review will be conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. A search for relevant publications on a range of databases will be conducted around occupational therapy practice and workforce in relation to improvement. Key search terms include occupational therapy and service improvement, quality improvement, practice development, and change management. Published and unpublished materials without limit on language will be searched and a public call of literature will be made. Eligibility checking and data charting and synthesis will be conducted by two reviews in line with the PAGER framework. Public involvement will be convened at key decision-making points to ensure patients and families who access occupational therapy services shape the direction of the review. Results will be disseminated to peer reviewed journal, conference presentation, and to widest possible audience through open access. Development and dissemination of education materials around service improvement will be considered to occupational therapists across United Kingdom.