title: Advocacy in occupational therapy: exploring clinicians' reasons and experiences of advocacy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Occupational therapy literature encourages therapists to advocate, yet any member of the team could advocate with/for people with disabilities. There is a need to determine why occupational therapists provide these services and how they learn to advocate.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this article is to understand the meaning of advocacy for occupational therapists by exploring their reasons for advocating.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interpretive phenomenology and the social model of disability were used to interview 13 occupational therapists about their advocacy experiences. Data analysis was completed using a Gadamerian-based approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Occupational therapists advocate for a number of reasons; some relate to themselves, some relate to clients, and others relate to both. Learning about advocacy may be understood as taking place on a continuum of time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The occupational therapist's unique reason for advocating is to facilitate the client's occupational performance. A new definition of advocacy is presented based on study findings.
authors.affiliation: School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, 1400 Main Street West, Institute for Applied Health Sciences 408C, Hamilton, ON, L8S 1C7. sdhill@mcmaster.ca
authors.forename: Shaminder K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Dhillon
authors.forename: Seanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wilkins
authors.forename: Mary C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: Debra A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tremblay
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D010344:Patient Advocacy