Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Department

Occupational Therapy

First Advisor

Anne Haskins

Abstract

The maternal health crisis of the United States presents an opportunity to improve the level of care provided to the maternal population. A new standard of care must be established, going beyond decreasing maternal mortality and morbidity rates, but instead working to promote the health and well-being of mothers. While many well-recognized health professionals currently play a role on the interdisciplinary care team for postpartum mothers, occupational therapists are emerging in this field, proving they have a vital role in providing services that addresses the current gap in care. Many professions largely address physical health; occupational therapists have a holistic approach, addressing physical, social, psychosocial, and environmental components of the mother. Occupational therapists in the postpartum acute care hospital setting strive to provide proactive, preventative services to avoid the various complications contributing to maternal death and disease. With occupational therapy (OT) services, expecting mothers can start expecting better care and quality of life.

Project Description After meeting with relevant stakeholders, interviewing members of the patient population, reviewing current research, and applying models of practice, a product was designed to meet the needs of new mothers. Their needs included education on the role of OT, access to evidence-based resources, and social support. To address these needs, a booklet was constructed to be given to new mothers during their stay in the hospital after birth. Topics included in the booklet were selected with the patients’ needs in mind and based on the constructs of the Model of Human Occupation and the Perinatal Maternal Health Promotion Model. The booklet was intended to be utilized as a tool to introduce mothers to OT services and provide them with appropriate resources.

Discussion While OT services are new to maternal health, it is expected that services will soon expand, and OT will be more widely recognized as part of the interdisciplinary care team for new mothers. This product will contribute to furthering the progress of awareness and underline the significance of OT services in this field. Plans for future study include conducting research to contribute to the current literature, expanding services to multiple practice settings and various points of the perinatal experience, and providing more specialized services for subpopulations

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