This chapter outlines the ethical principles and obligations relevant to occupational therapy (OT) practice in the Philippines. It describes theoretical foundations and key ethical principles, including a discussion of the Philippine Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics. The chapter further specifies and exemplifies the ethical responsibilities of Filipino OTs towards clients, the profession, education, research, and society. It includes reflection questions and case studies to aid understanding and application of these principles in real-world scenarios. This chapter offers a valuable guide for OT professionals to effectively navigate and resolve ethical dilemmas in Philippine contexts. 

In this chapter, we explore the future of occupational therapy in the Philippines. We begin by revisiting ideas from the previous chapters about occupation (gawain), clients, and occupational therapy. Next, we identify and describe issues and gaps in education, practice, and research that need to be addressed. Finally, we present a vision for occupational therapy in the Philippines. This vision outlines a framework that serves as a call to action for practitioners, educators, advocates, researchers, and leaders to collaborate in building a dynamic and sustainable future for occupational therapy in the Philippines.

Objective: This scoping review aimed to explore available literature on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare professionals on providing care to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) community as well as the experiences and perspectives of the LGBT community on their healthcare.

Material and Methods: The following electronic databases were searched in December 2020: MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, ProQuest, SCOPUS, and Embase for English-language publications; from 2010 to 2020.

Results: This review included 59 studies that were selected from 5,318 studies. This review revealed that there was an increase in publications regarding this topic across the world. This review identified four themes: (I) the current healthcare landscape for the LGBT community, (II) facilitators of and (III) barriers to healthcare access and utilization among the LGBT community, and (IV) varied facets of healthcare of relevance for LGBT healthcare users – communication, space, education and training, research, and policies.

Conclusion: This review serves as a valuable compass for future researchers seeking areas for deeper exploration and understanding. Nevertheless, the limitations of the study underscore the significance of exercising caution when interpreting its findings concerning challenges within LGBT healthcare.

The chapter focuses on the significance of lifelong learning in addressing challenges in occupational therapy practice in the Philippines. Lifelong learning impacts personal development, social justice, and sustainable development, aligning with the UN’s 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goal 4. For Filipino occupational therapists, lifelong learning, mandated through continuing professional development (CPD) activities, is crucial for maintaining and enhancing professional competences. This chapter discusses the integration of formal, non-formal, and informal learning in the CPD framework, as well as the practice of reflection and critical reflection, highlighting their benefits at micro and macro levels.

This chapter discusses the evolution and purpose of occupational science, emphasizing the importance of understanding the impact of human occupations on health and well-being. It also highlights the emergence of occupational science in the Philippines, where initial efforts have begun to integrate its concepts into research as well as occupational therapy education and practice. The chapter also showcases select studies focusing on Filipino occupations, underscoring their social, cultural, and historical significance. By illuminating these facets, the chapter aims to promote broader engagement with occupational science, offering insights into its theoretical frameworks and practical applications, and suggesting strategies for its implementation in academic and professional settings.

The first book of its kind, Occupational Therapy in the Philippines provides a context to the existing occupational therapy knowledge base from a Filipino perspective. This book acts as a guide for occupational therapists to develop and continually evaluate trusting working relationships with clients and other health and social care professionals, leading to more effective occupational therapy services. It discusses occupational therapy concepts, principles, and practices and illustrates examples of occupational therapy practices based on Filipino case studies, narratives, and evidence, and offers recommendations on how to enrich occupational therapy understanding globally. The chapters delve into theory, education and training, clinical practice, research, case studies and topical issues. This book is an ideal read for occupational therapy students and practitioners from all areas of practice as well as to those who are interested to know more about occupational therapy.

This chapter describes the overview of occupational therapy education in the Philippines through the lens of an educator. We provide an explanation of what needs to be considered to transform occupational therapy education and training in the Philippines to respond to local and global changes and trends. Drawing from the Technological-Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPaCK) model, we provide core principles on how to intersect content, teaching and learning processes, and technology to optimize contemporary occupational therapy education for classroom and clinical educators. A section is dedicated to outline the possibilities and processes towards becoming an occupational therapy educator in the Philippines. The chapter ends by highlighting the story of an occupational therapist who transitioned to an educator role.

This chapter discusses the history and role of technology in human occupation. In particular, it explores the increasing role of technology in our daily lives, across all occupational domains. Through the use of theories of occupation and occupational therapy, case studies, and globally relevant examples, it addresses not only the ways in which technology has the potential to enhance our occupational performance and engagement, but also the ways in which our reliance on technology may lead to occupational disruption, challenges to occupational justice, and questions of ethics.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to explore the experiences and meaning of digital technology in daily life by stroke survivors.

Materials and methods: A phenomenological study design helped to collect rich and in-depth understanding of stroke survivors’ experiences and meaning of digital technology in their daily life and their perspective of applying digital technology in the implementation of stroke-related telerehabilitation services. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis.

Findings: An overarching theme emerged: A spectrum of challenges, personal preferences, strategies to manage, and attitudes towards the use of digital technology in daily life.

Conclusion: The findings revealed that participants’ different experiences influenced their perceived meaning of digital technology in daily life and the interest to participate in telerehabilitation services.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION 

• Digital technology provides easy access to information for stroke survivors, but can sometimes be difficult to use.
• Stroke survivors have contrasting preferences for face-to-face and virtual interactions with health professionals.
• Digital technology has different meanings for different people.
• Client-centred practice within telerehabilitation for stroke survivors could be enhanced by understanding the clients’ preferences, experiences, and meanings in digital technology.