Referral for occupational therapy after diagnosis of developmental disorder by German child psychiatrists

Abstract

Aims: The aims of this study were to assess how many patients received occupational therapy after diagnosis of developmental disorder (DD) in child psychiatrist practices in Germany and which factors influenced the prescription of occupational therapy. Methods: This study was a retrospective database analysis in Germany utilising the Disease Analyzer® Database (IMS Health, Germany). The study population included 11,112 children aged between 3 and 17 from 13 child psychiatrist practices. The observation period was five years in total. Results: 32% of study children were referred for occupational therapy within three years of first diagnosis of DD. Younger age, female gender, statutory health insurance, specific DD of motor function or reaction to severe stress and adjustment disorders positively influenced the referral rate and time of occupational therapy. Conclusions: One out of three children with DD receive the referral of occupational therapy within three years of first diagnosis of DD.

Keywords:

• occupational therapy
• developmental disorder
• child psychiatrist

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Marcel Konrad is a Deputy Dean of Occupational Therapy Studies and Academic Associate on the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences in Idstein (Germany). Graduated from the same with a degree in occupational therapy (BSc) and another in therapy sciences (MSc). He actually works on his Ph.D. His research focuses on occupational therapy in psychiatry.

Julia Droselmeyer is Dean of Occupational Therapy Studies and also representative for Quality Management on the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences in Idstein (Germany). She studied occupational therapy in Idstein (BSc) and then Health Economics in Idstein and Wales (MSc). Actually she works on her Ph.D. work. Her research area is occupational therapy in different diseases.

Karel Kostev is Professor for medical sciences in Fresenius University of Applied Sciences in Idstein and Senior Research Advisor Epidemiology & Evidence Based Medicine at IMS Health GmbH in Frankfurt (Germany). He graduated from the University of Freiburg i.Br. with a degree in sociology and statistics, and did a Ph.D. in evidence-based medicine [Dr. rer. med.] in the University of Leipzig. Main topics of his research include evidence-based medicine and epidemiology of chronic diseases.