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Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis for the strengthening of the occupational therapy workforce
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  • Tiago S. Jesus,
  • Karthik Mani,
  • Sutanuka Bhattacharjya,
  • Sureshkumar Kamalakannan,
  • Claudia von Zweck,
  • Ritchard Ledgerd,
  • World Federation of Occupational Therapists
Tiago S. Jesus
Northwestern University Institute for Public Health and Medicine

Corresponding Author:tiago.jesus@northwestern.edu

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Karthik Mani
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston School of Health Professions
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Sutanuka Bhattacharjya
Georgia State University Byrdine F Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions
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Sureshkumar Kamalakannan
Northumbria University
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Claudia von Zweck
World Federation of Occupational Therapists
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Ritchard Ledgerd
World Federation of Occupational Therapists
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World Federation of Occupational Therapists
World Federation of Occupational Therapists
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Abstract

Background: Occupational Therapists are needed for meeting the health, rehabilitation, and occupational needs of the population worldwide, but there is no strategy for strengthening the occupational therapy workforce against a backdrop of an insufficient and inequitable supply worldwide. Objective: To perform a situational assessment of occupational therapy workforce development and research toward informing a global human resources strategy for strengthening the profession. Method: A multi-methods design incorporating SWOT analysis based on scoping review findings, workforce development frameworks, and expert feedback. Results: Strengths included identified workforce research trends, gaps, and findings. Weaknesses included a shortage of workforce research, lack of uniform and readily available workforce datasets, absence of workforce research programs, over-reliance on descriptive and non-experimental research, lack of research on workforce topics (e.g., diversity), and lack of labor market or economic analyses. Opportunities are the availability of guidance and tools for strengthening the health and rehabilitation workforce worldwide, and increased membership from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the international professional federation. Threats include the suboptimal funding of occupational therapy workforce research, the lack of profession-specific data on cross-professional datasets and studies, suboptimal educational capacity in LMICs, lack of universal professional regulation and uniform workforce data collection in many contexts, and a perceived lower priority of this health workforce focused on health and wellbeing rather than medical outcomes. Conclusion: This SWOT analysis identifies strengths and opportunities to be seized and weaknesses and threats to be addressed by development of a strategy for the global strengthening of the occupational therapy workforce.
03 Nov 2022Submitted to International Journal of Health Planning and Management
09 Nov 2022Submission Checks Completed
09 Nov 2022Assigned to Editor
09 Nov 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
23 Nov 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
05 Dec 20221st Revision Received
09 Dec 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
09 Dec 2022Submission Checks Completed
09 Dec 2022Assigned to Editor
10 Dec 2022Editorial Decision: Accept