The following is a summary of “Primary care occupational, physical, and respiratory therapy role adaptation in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic,” published in the January 2024 issue of Primary Care by Brown et al.

As occupational, physical, and respiratory therapists find their footing in primary care, the COVID-19 pandemic thrust them into unfamiliar territory, demanding rapid evolution in their responsibilities and highlighting the need for understanding their adaptations within a changing healthcare landscape.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study investigating adaptations made by therapists in Canadian primary care during the initial year of the COVID-19 outbreak, examining both barriers and facilitators to these adaptations.

The longitudinal interpretative study engaged occupational, physical, and respiratory therapists from primary care settings in Manitoba and Ontario. Participants were tasked with maintaining a minimum of 10 semi-structured audio-diary entries over a 12-weeks (April to October 2020). After this period, two semi-structured interviews were conducted (December 2020 and April 2021). The discussions centered on the evolution of their roles and practices during this transformative period. The analysis utilized iterative processes, combining individual summaries and coding techniques with inductive and predetermined codes. A comprehensive immersion/crystallization approach was employed to extract overarching themes related to role adaptation.

The results showed the nuanced experiences of therapists during the pandemic, framed using the metaphor of the “Role Adaptation Snakes and Ladders.”Although the challenges posed by the pandemic were far from playful, the metaphor aptly captures the dual pressures therapists face, navigating unpredictable circumstances while striving to maintain professional and personal equilibrium. The role adaptation journey was categorized into three phases: Disorienting, Coping and Waiting, and Adapting. In the latter phase, therapists demonstrated remarkable ingenuity in delivering essential services aligned with pandemic demands. Personal circumstances and broader professional contexts influenced the journey through phases, metaphorically represented as “snakes” and “ladders.”Notably, each therapist carved out a unique path influenced by these factors.

Investigators concluded that adapting services to full scope in primary care, backed by meso and macro systems, empowers rehabilitation professionals to be vital players in healthcare teams.

Source: bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-023-02247-7