Background. Decades of literature demonstrate that occupational therapy is well-suited to collaborate with public health due to overlapping views of health. However, there has been little collaboration between these professions with few examinations of why they remain distinct. Purpose. This study examines historical events that have led to the present-day separation of occupational therapy and public health. Method. This narrative review and thematic analysis of the scholarly, archival, and grey literature was conducted to examine the development of both fields. Findings. Fifty texts were analyzed revealing four themes: the influence of structural and social forces; professional, societal, and institutional hindrances; potential for a shared vision; and next steps for integration. These themes highlight historical barriers to collaboration and provide evidence that occupational therapy could benefit public health. Implications. Collaboration between occupational therapy and public health has many potential benefits, however new approaches to bridge the divide are needed to advance collaboration.

Background Of the approximately 1 million people living with multiple sclerosis in the United States, more than half receive informal, unpaid care or support from family or friends (caregivers). These caregivers report high levels of stress, anxiety, and negative emotions. Few researchers have conducted psychoeducational interventions for these caregivers. Objective This paper presents a protocol for a randomized clinical trial that aims to test the efficacy of two interventions for improving stress, anxiety, depression, and negative emotions for caregivers of persons with multiple sclerosis. Methods Participants included any self-identified family or friend caregiver of a person with multiple sclerosis. Data collection began in April 2021 and is expected to continue until November 2021. Participants will be randomized to receive either a website-only or a website-coaching intervention delivered for 6 weeks. Data will be collected at baseline, 6 weeks after baseline (after delivery of intervention), and 6 weeks later. Results The protocol was approved by the institutional review board of the Case Western Reserve University on January 21, 2021 (protocol 20201484). As of May 2021, 66 participants were enrolled. Conclusions Our findings will have implications for identifying the efficacy of two types of interventions developed for caregivers of persons with multiple sclerosis to reduce negative psychological outcomes associated with caregiving. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04662008; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04662008 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/30617

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought immense disruption worldwide, dramatically altering the ways we live, work and learn on a day-to-day basis; however, few studies have investigated this from the perspective of primary care providers. In this study, we sought to explore the experiences of primary care providers in the province of Nova Scotia, with the intention of understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary care providers’ ability to provide care, their information pathways, and the personal and professional impact of the pandemic. Methods: We conducted an exploratory qualitative research study involving semistructured interviews conducted via Zoom videoconferencing or telephone with primary care providers (physicians, nurse practitioners and family practice nurses) who self-identified as working in primary health care in Nova Scotia from June 2020 to April 2021. We performed a thematic analysis involving coding and classifying data according to themes. Emergent themes were then interpreted by seeking commonalties, divergence, relationships and overarching patterns in the data. Results: Twenty-four primary care providers were interviewed. Subsequent analysis identified 4 interrelated themes within the data: disruption to work–life balance, disruptions to “non-COVID-19” patient care, impact of provincial and centralized policies, and filtering and processing an influx of information. Interpretation: Our findings showed that managing a crisis of this magnitude requires coordination and new ways of working, balancing professional and personal life, and adapting to already implemented changes (i.e., virtual care). A specific primary care pandemic response plan is essential to mitigate the impact of future health care crises.

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