The Process for the Formulation of the International Telehealth Position Statement for Occupational Therapy

Abstract

The World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) consists of 84 member organizations representing over 420,000 occupational therapists internationally (WFOT, 2014).  In 2014, WFOT published the WFOT Telehealth Position Statement on the use of telehealth in occupational therapy. The process for the formulation of the official document involved reviewing WFOT member organizations’ telehealth position statements and data collected from a survey sent to member organizations’ delegates in April 2014.  Qualitative data from 39 countries yielded factors to consider in five key areas:  licensure/registration requirements, the cost of technology, privacy and security, reimbursement/payment models, and other issues (e.g., need for collaboration/transfer of knowledge, client selection, provider competencies, standard of care).  The WFOT Telehealth Position Statement addressed each of these areas.  The collaborative effort resulting in the development of the WFOT Telehealth Position Statement serves as a model for other international organizations.