Providers’ Perspectives Regarding Factors That Influence Access to Occupational Therapy in the Veterans Health Administration Inpatient Psychiatric Setting

This study revealed multilevel determinants of accessing inpatient psychiatric occupational therapy in the VHA. The findings serve as modifiable targets of multifaceted strategies aimed at expanding access to these beneficial services and improving Veteran outcomes. Plain-Language Summary: Although emerging evidence has suggested gaps in access to inpatient psychiatric occupational therapy services in the Veterans Health Administration, knowledge regarding the specific drivers of such gaps has been limited. This study enhances our understanding of factors that shape access to these beneficial services, revealing that factors at the level of the patient (e.g., Veteran preference), provider (e.g., limited awareness of occupational therapy's scope of practice), and facility (e.g., standardized referral process) influence utilization. These findings lay the foundation for the development of multifaceted strategies that expand access to these beneficial services by enhancing practice and policy.