Occupational Therapy and Primary Care

Occupational therapists (OTs) are integral to primary care teams and use their expertise and full scope of practice to improve client health and participation in daily activities. OTs act as primary care practitioners or health promotion experts and help address and relieve multiple stressors on Canada’s health system. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines primary health care as health systems to support a person’s health needs – from health promotion to disease prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, palliative care and more. This strategy also ensures that health care is delivered in a way that is centred on people’s needs and respects their preferences. Primary health care is widely regarded as the most inclusive, equitable and cost-effective way to achieve universal health coverage.

Occupational therapy practitioners are a natural fit for primary care teams because they offer a valuable, multi-scope skill set that is unique and cost-effective. As rehabilitation and health promotion experts, OTs can help improve client participation in daily activities, encourage healthy lifestyle choices, support mental health, foster
self-management of chronic conditions, and identify those who need care prior to crisis or hospitalization.

Resources
A recently published scoping review examines and describes the evidence about OT services in primary care:

Donnelly C, Leclair L, Hand C, Wener P, Letts L. (2023) Occupational therapy services in primary care: a scoping review. Primary Health Care Research & Development 24(e7): 1–18.

red button
Primary care vision cover
CAOT and key primary care researchers developed a vision document to describe the future of the role of occupational therapy in primary care:  

Occupational Therapy and Primary Care: A Vision for the Path Forward  (Donnelly, C., Leclair, L., Hand, C., Wener, P., Letts, L., & CAOT, 2022)

red button


The British Columbia Primary Care Community of Practice fact sheets

driving image

Supporting & Educating Caregivers   Health Promotion Driving and Community Mobility
red button red button red button

home image

Thumbnail for Primary Care factsheet on preventing admissions to acute care

Home Safety Falls Prevention Reduce System Waits and Spending
red button red button red button

red arrow


CAOT Objectives

  • To advocate for the inclusion of occupational therapists on all primary health teams and to make this a condition of federal health transfers to provinces.
  • To advocate for all Canadians to have access to primary care occupational therapists.


This is a crucial time for occupational therapists to not only have a clear understanding of our role in primary care settings, but to be able to articulate the role to decisionmakers and provide strong evidence of our ability to positively impact Canadians’ health and wellbeing.