Risk Assessment: Enabler or Barrier?

Abstract

Are occupational therapists using risk assessment to its fullest potential? Taking part in activities of daily living can introduce significant risk for someone overcoming disabilities and risk assessment is regularly utilised to confirm where harm is liable to occur. In this opinion piece, risk assessment is promoted as a valuable addition to the therapist's 'toolbox'-allowing, rather than hindering, occupational therapy practice. In offering therapists the opportunity to engage creatively in finding novel solutions to problems, risk assessment can, in fact, avoid a focus on what cannot be done in favour of what can be done with greater certainty, accountability and transparency.

What are the common areas of risk and their characteristics found in intermediate care from an occupational therapy perspective? A scoping review

“…Determining the nature of a risk and the opportunity it may or may not present is a cognitive process which includes subjective viewpoints (Gallagher, 2013; Breakwell, 2007). These cognitive processes also include some less obvious psychological factors which are related to how we make judgements in conditions of uncertainty, namely, the effect of heuristics and biases (Breakwell, 2007; Trimpop, 1994).…”

“…Effective risk management is achieved as a result of, and attention to, its preceding factors, which commonly include awareness, identification, assessment, action, communication and review to ensure harmful risk is minimised and positive therapeutic benefits are enhanced (Gallagher, 2013; Haxby et al, 2011; RCOT, 2017). The risk management process becomes particularly challenging when those with complex needs transition between higher dependency care to lower dependency care arrangements or where higher dependency care can be avoided in favour of more suitable support (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2017).…”

Investigating the effect strength of positive risk-taking barriers on discharge decisions in occupational therapy intermediate care: A factorial survey

“…This also means that the repercussions from these decisions may have a favourable or unfavourable outcome or both (Carson, 2008). Making effective positive risk-taking decisions promotes a service user's progress, enhances safe engagement with occupation, and reduces the potential for missed therapeutic opportunities (Gallagher, 2013). Engaging with risk in this context also empowers service users to challenge the confines of disability (RCOT, 2017).…”