Occupational Therapists for Medico-Legal Matters

No, Red Health’s focus is on connecting clients with Occupational Therapists for medico-legal opinions. For treatment needs, please consult your primary healthcare provider.

While occupational therapy shares some common ground with other healthcare professions, such as physical therapy, its distinctive focus on daily activities and holistic, client-centered approaches sets it apart along with the specialised functional testing they administer to determine levels of capacity.

In the context of medico-legal services, occupational therapists may provide expert opinions on how specific medical conditions impact an individual’s occupational functioning, supporting legal and insurance evaluations.

Occupational Therapists and Occupational and Environmental Physicians are distinct healthcare professionals with different roles, training, and areas of expertise.

OTs are allied health professionals who hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in occupational therapy. They undergo specialised training to assess and address the impact of physical, cognitive, or emotional challenges on a person’s ability to engage in daily activities. They focus on providing holistic and client-centered interventions to help individuals develop, regain, or adapt skills necessary for daily activities. They address a broad range of physical, mental, and developmental conditions. They have direct, hands-on interactions with clients, providing individualised assessments and interventions to help clients achieve their functional goals.

OEPs are medical doctors who have completed additional training in occupational and environmental medicine.  They specialise in the prevention, diagnosis, and management of work-related illnesses and injuries. They assess the impact of occupational and environmental factors on health, provide medical advice for workplace accommodations, and may be involved in occupational health and safety. OEPs may interact with individual workers, but their focus often includes broader aspects of occupational health management, such as policy development, workplace risk assessment, and advising employers.

The length of consultations can vary, but they typically last between 60 minutes and 2 hour, depending on the case’s complexity and the information required.

An Occupational Therapist’s opinion in medico-legal matters is highly valued, especially regarding an individual’s functional capacity and restrictions. This is due to the specialised physical testing that they administer which accurately records an individuals functional ability and restrictions. They also utilise questionnaires which are completed with the individual to further understand the impacts of injury and illness.