Summer 2021 Reading List: Occupational Therapy Journal Articles Edition

Ahhhh summer! A time to relax and travel after a long year (made much longer by COVID). Though summer is a time for relaxation, summer can also be a time to catch up on evidence! Earlier this week, I had a conversation with another occupational therapy colleague who shared having a to-go scholarship bag and in this bag, she has all items related to research and other scholarly articles. My interest was piqued, and I quickly realized that this is a great idea!

Reading research does not have to be an event. It can be 15 minutes reading the first few pages of a research article waiting to pickup a child, reviewing an article for 30 minutes during lunch break before scrolling on your phone to catchup with friends and family on social media, or a quick read before going to bed. The list of where you can sneak in reading research is ENDLESS! Think about it, if you reach for your phone, then you can reach for your to-go scholarship bag!

Searching for articles can be difficult. The list of published articles is quite extensive, and it can be overwhelming just to search for an article in your preferred practice area or an area you would like to learn. Enter the 2021 Summer Reading List–Journals Edition!

These are articles that are all open access and can be easily downloaded in pdf format, printed, and packed into your go-to scholarship bag. In addition to a pencil case with pens and pencils, here are some items that can help you organize your to-go scholarship bag:

Expanding File Folder or Document Organizer

Pocket Highlighters

Notebook with sticky notes

You may be able to travel with the file folder and pencil case alone without necessarily using a bag. But the bag may be a more organized option, rather than keeping track of a file folder, notebook, and writing utensils. It is a personal preference.

List of articles available for review

Facilitating Evidence-Based Practice: Process, Strategies, and Resources | American Journal of Occupational Therapy (aota.org)

Occupational Therapy’s Value in Provision of Quality Care to Prevent Readmissions | American Journal of Occupational Therapy (aota.org)

Occupational Therapy and Therapeutic Horticulture for Women with Cancer and Chronic Pain: A Pilot Study (wmich.edu)

OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health – Volume 40, Number 1, Jan 01, 2020 (sagepub.com) (all articles in this volume are open access spanning pediatric to adult in all areas of practice!

Parents’ ability to access community health occupational therapy services in a disadvantaged area: A proof of concept study (wiley.com)

Fine Motor Activities in Elementary School Children: A Replication Study | American Journal of Occupational Therapy (aota.org)

Interventions Within the Scope of Occupational Therapy to Improve Children’s Academic Participation: A Systematic Review | American Journal of Occupational Therapy (aota.org)

Paraeducators’ perspectives about sensory-based interventions in schools” by Lyn Kaiser, Marie-Christine Potvin et al. (wmich.edu)

Occupational Therapy Interventions for Adults With Stroke | American Journal of Occupational Therapy (aota.org)

Occupational Therapy Interventions for Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury | American Journal of Occupational Therapy (aota.org)

Occupational Therapy Interventions for Older Adults With Low Vision | American Journal of Occupational Therapy (aota.org)

The effectiveness of spinal cord injury ADL inpatient education on rehabilitation outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis – Moussa Abu Mostafa, Nicola Ann Plastow, Maggi Savin-Baden, 2020 (sagepub.com)

Effectiveness of Occupational Therapy Services in Mental Health Practice | American Journal of Occupational Therapy (aota.org)

Evaluation of an occupation‐based, mental‐health program: Meeting being, belonging and becoming needs (wiley.com)

Conceptualizing Occupational Therapists’ Change Agent Role To Support Entry-Level Pedagogical Activities: Results From A Scoping Study (eku.edu)

Fieldwork Educators’ Expectations of Level II Occupational Therapy Students’ Professional and Technical Skills.

Fieldwork educators’ expectations of level II fieldwork” by Jessica Mason, Cynthia L. Hayden et al. (wmich.edu)

What Drives Engagement in Professional Associations? A National Survey of Occupational Therapy Students (eku.edu)

Some ideas with this list

• Make a challenge for you to read all the articles by the end of the summer!
• Form a journal club and once a week, discuss an article on a select day of the week with colleagues. Wednesday or Thursday seems like good days. Friday and the weekend are family time. Monday is Monday and Tuesday is a recovery day for Monday. You may have more compliance with Wednesday or Thursday. Make it a day, bring treats for your discussion!
• Aim for 1 article a week and take some notes on what you read using the Occupational Therapy Journal Club Review Form  
• Track your articles using the Occupational Therapy Journal Club Spreadsheet
• If this list is too much, try OT Research Article Spotlight  where I breakdown an article.

I hope you find these articles useful. Feel free to reach out with any questions or suggestions for future reading lists! What’s on your summer reading list?!