Distributional Trend of Occupational Therapists and Its Determinants

• Main Authors: Chen-Wei Fun, 范辰蔚
• Other Authors: Chih-Liang Yaung
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/11637333587312418873

碩士 === 亞洲大學 === 健康管理研究所 === 97 === Due to fast aging population and the advances in medical technologies, the proportion of elderly and those are disabled are increasing. On the other hand, the number of premature infants is rising. To face the increasing demands for medical services, occupational therapy is one kind of them, is to treat or assist those with physical, psychological or social disabled to improve their capability for independent living. Objectives.　The study was focused on exploring the distribution of occupational therapists in Taiwan and its determinants. Designs. According to this study, cities/counties were used as units. Exploration was made to determine what are factors affecting the distribution of those occupational therapists. Data on occupational therapists manpower were obtained from the Health Manpower Masterfile of Department of Health. Data on health care facilities and their bed numbers were from the website of statistics of Department of Health. Data on population were from the Taiwan-Fukien Demographic Fact Book. Data on income derived from the Directorate-General of Budget Accounting and Statistics. Data on doctors was from the Taiwan Medical Association.。 Results. The study found that females were the great majority of the occupational therapists, and medical facilities were the main workplace. The occupational therapists manpower was with a steady increasing from 1998 to 2007. The density of occupational therapists had increased from 1.64 to 8.54 per one hundred-thousand people in the period from 1998 to 2007. However, the gap of the manpower density among geographical areas (cities/counties) has been decreased every year. Among factors influencing the distribution occupational therapy personnel, environmental factors are the most important and the economic factors followed. Conclusion and Suggest. Most of the occupational therapists in Taiwan were concentrated in the medical facilities. For other facilities such as: child development centers, schools, vocational training units, nursing homes and communities centers were lacked of manpower. Facing the oncoming long-term care insurance which will be implemented in year 2011, an increase in demand for occupational therapists is expected. It is worth to pay more attention to the supply and demand of occupational therapists.