Calculating Cost Effectiveness with the Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

Abstract

The need for occupational therapists continues to rise durin a time when those in health care management must also concern themselves with containing costs. This paper compares the expense of an all therapist department vs. a department comprised of therapists and assistants. Appropriate assignment of therapists vs. assistants in various clinical settings is discussed. The paper also describes how one multiclinic department redefined two assistant positions to enhance productivity.

Economic Evaluation of Occupational Therapy: Where are We at?

“…The viewpoint of the analysis should be stated, and costs and consequences should be analyzed from this perspective. Dennis, 1988;Shalik, 1987), or the payer (e.g. Boyle, Torrance, Sinclair & Horwood, 1983), but researchers often focus on the perspective of the client (e.g.…”

“…Boyle, Torrance, Sinclair & Horwood, 1983), but researchers often focus on the perspective of the client (e.g. Dennis (1988) computed and compared the costs to a provider organization of furnishing occupational therapy services with certified occupational therapy assistants (COTAs) and registered occupational therapists (OTRs) (i.e. Dennis, 1988;Shalik, 1987), or the payer (e.g.…”