The AOTA Centennial Vision

In celebration of April being OT month, it seems appropriate to discuss AOTA’s Centennial Vision (CV) for the profession. Many will already be familiar with the CV, but there are many that likely are not.

In 2006, The American Occupational Therapy Association established the Centennial Vision as a “strategic plan” (AOTA, 2006, p.1) for the profession as it approaches its 100^th anniversary in 2017. It was established to provide strategies for occupational therapists at all levels of service, to enable the profession to remain “viable and contemporary” (Baum, 2006, p. 610) in light of changes in society, health care, and technology.

The vision is that “Occupational Therapy is a powerful, widely recognized, science-driven, and evidence-based profession with a globally connected and diverse workforce meeting society’s occupational needs” (AOTA, 2006, p.1). It calls for OT’s to use technology to provide services; to be educators, researchers, and entrepreneurs; to embrace evidence-based practice; to be science-driven, and to collaborate and be connected to other professionals locally and globally.

In its early stages, Saebo was started in 2001 by two OT’s, who had the desire to improve the life of one individual. Through their continued efforts, drive, and motivation, their company, products, and programs, now educate therapists all over the world and help to improve the lives of a population; individuals with stroke and other neurological impairments. These efforts are not only meeting society’s needs, as stroke is the leading cause of long term disability in the United States (www.strokeassociation.org), but as occupational therapists, they are also fulfilling the profession’s Centennial Vision.

Saebo’s products are developed to enable the clinician to incorporate current evidence-based practice and though still relatively in the infancy stage, many clinicians are engaging in Saebo related research. There have been several case studies, pilot studies, and Phase I trials completed and more recently, published articles include a feasibility study of the use of the SaeboFlex with acute stroke survivors (Stuck, Marshall, & Sivakumar, 2012), a pilot clinical trial of the use of the SaeboFlex with chronic stroke survivors (Jen, Woo, Yi, Kwon, Jung, Lee, Hwang, & Choi, 2102) and the Reciprocal EMG Triggered Stimulation (RETS) program, proprietary to the Saebo MyoTrac Infiniti, was highlighted in an article discussing the management and treatment of foot drop in stroke (Graham, 2013).

The AOTA Centennial Vision (2006) emphasizes the value and importance of a diverse workforce of occupational therapists who are clinicians, educators, scientists, researchers, and entrepreneurs to substantiate the profession. OT’s practicing in any of these roles can support the Centennial Vision by becoming active in the professional association, by advocating for the profession, through collaboration with others, by using evidence-based practice, and by embracing change, emerging technologies and interventions (Clark, n.d.). OT’s need to evaluate the interventions they provide and client outcomes. Is evidence-based practiced being utilized?  What lingering questions exist?  OT’s should participate in continuing or advanced education,  join AOTA, attend the national conference, consult with colleagues and other professionals, spend time searching for relevant articles to answer questions, share what is found with others, and advocate for clinical products and programs that are cost-effective and that will enable the ability to employ evidence-based practice. As a result, OT’s can change a life and change the lives of a population.

Shannon Scott, OTR/L, is the Clinical Assistant Professor at Stony Brook University Southampton. She is a graduate of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada and is currently pursuing her doctorate in OT through Quinnipiac University. She has over 23 years of clinical experience, specializing in Neurorehabilitation. She is Level One Brain Injury Certified and is NDT trained. Shannon was one of the first 10 therapists trained in the use of Saebo. Prior to teaching at Stony Brook, Shannon was the Director of Clinical Services at Saebo.

References

AOTA’s Centennial Vision (2006, January 1). Retrieved from http://www.aota.org/News/Centennial/Background/36516.aspx?FT=pdf.

Baum, C. (2006) Centennial challenges, millennium opportunities. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 60(6), 609-616.

Clark, F. & Bloom, P. (n.d.) Letter to colleagues. www.aota.org.

Graham, J. (2013). The management and treatment of foot drop in stroke. British Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, 9(1), 1-5.

Jeon, H.., Woo, Y., Yi, C., Kwon, O., Jung, M., & Lee, Y., Hwang, S., & Choi, B. (2012). Effect of intensive training with a spring-assisted hand orthosis on movement smoothness in upper extremity following stroke: A pilot clinical trial. Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation, 19(4), 320-328.

Stuck, R., Marshall, L., & Sivakumar, R. (2012). Saeboflex upper limb training in acute stroke rehabilitation: feasibility study. International Journal of Stroke, 7(2), 20-21.

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Whether you are a caregiver, occupational therapist or even a stroke survivor yourself, Saebo  provides stroke survivors young or old access to transformative and life changing products. We pride ourselves on providing affordable, easily accessible, and cutting-edge solutions to people suffering from impaired mobility and function. We have several products to help with the stroke recovery and rehabilitation process.  From the SaeboFlex, which allows clients to incorporate their hand functionally in therapy or at home, to the SaeboMAS, an unweighting device used to assist the arm during daily living tasks and exercise training, we are commitment to helping create innovative products for stroke recovery.  Check out all of our product offerings or let us help you find which product is right for you.