Receiving Referrals: Decision Making by the Community Occupational Therapist

Abstract

The article discusses the way in which an initial decision is made when receiving a referral as a community occupational therapist. This often difficult decision is influenced by many factors, such as clinical and social policies, resource constraints, intuition and professional expertise. Theoretical models to clarify decision making — the cognitive continuum, problem solving and formal decision aids — are briefly outlined. A brief outline is also given of the legal, ethical and economic constraints on the decision.