title: Pediatric therapists' perspectives on occupation-based practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to describe the perspectives on occupation-based practice of 22 pediatric occupational therapists in a medical facility in the Midwestern United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study used a grounded theory approach to analyze the individual, semi-structured interviews of 22 pediatric occupational therapists. Transcripts were initially coded using Ethnograph™ 5.0 software and analysis continued using constant comparison techniques and memo writing to produce emergent themes of meaning.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The doing of occupation-based practice was based in personal identity and influenced by professional education. Occupation-based practice was more satisfying and rewarding for therapists, and they found it more effective and individualized. Patients and families were perceived by therapists to find occupation-based practice more motivating, understandable, valuable, and easily generalized to everyday life. However, occupation-based practice was seen as more difficult in a medical-based facility because pragmatic factors and contextual forces exerted strong influences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Therapists used specific creative strategies to negotiate between competing paradigms to maximize occupation-based practice within constraints.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. estesj@xavier.edu
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Estes
authors.forename: Doris E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Pierce
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult