Understanding Occupational Therapy: A Hermeneutic Approach

Abstract

e term 'hermeneutic' has recently been appearing In the occupational therapy literature related to clinIcal reasoning but without an adequate definition of Its meaning. The purpose of this article, therefore, Is to offer a simple Introduction to the term and discuss how It applies to clinical reasoning, thus providing occupational therapists with some of the language they will need to L1nderstand this relatively new concept fully. Drawing on literature from nursing, physiotherapy, psychology and occupational therapy, this article examines a hermeneutic approach to occupational therapy research and practice and, Indeed, to an understanding of the concept of occupational therapy itself.

Occupational Therapists' Clinical Reasoning: A Qualitative Study

“…The participants declared that it is not possible to work in such a way in the hospital setting and that occupational therapists determine goals in hospitals in cooperation with the treatment team. The results of this research confirm the findings of other research studies in showing that occupational therapists categorize and formulize the data from assessments under the effects of organizational constraints and that these have a significant impact on what is possible [32,34,35].…”

“…The traditional view of the Iranian society regarding people I ranian R ehabilitation Journal September 2017, Volume 15, Number 3 with disability is piteous [33]. The implication that the clients have for their disease directly affects the process of therapy [34]. Occupational therapists who have been working at day centers categorize their evaluation data in consideration of their clients' conditions and priorities.…”

Everyday Occupations and the Process of Redefinition: A Study of How Meaning in Occupation Influences Redefinition of Identity in Women with a Disability

“…Phenomenology searches for detailed descriptions of the ''life world'' of the individual, to get beyond immediately experienced meanings, and ''to make the invisible visible'' [33]. The interpretation of meaning is achieved through the hermeneutic circle, through a process where separate parts may change the originally anticipated meaning of the totality [33,34].…”

Clinical reasoning in neurology: Use of the repertory grid technique to investigate the reasoning of an experienced occupational therapist

“…The majority of occupational therapy clinical reasoning research has been undertaken using qualitative methodologies (Table 1). Such methodologies are typically situated within the interpretive research tradition and are concerned with the systematic, detailed description of the experiences and knowledge of individuals or groups of people within particular domains (Finlay, 2000;Kelly, 1996;Mattingly & Fleming, 1994). Qualitative methodologies are therefore idiographic, that is, they seek to explore contextualised knowledge and meaning (Grice, 2007a).…”