The Austrian Association of Occupational Therapists, ErgoAustria, is organizing a one day congress every two years. This year´s congress had for theme “evidence based practice in occupational therapy”. It took place on 27. March, 70 OTs were attending.
There were presentations about the need for evidence towards our stakeholders (clients as well as assurance companies), an introduction about the process of EBP, a summary about what is being done according to EBP by the German association DVE, a presentation about clinical reasoning and EBP – followed by examples from different fields of occupational therapy.
ErgoAustria will offer a course in EBP in 2010.
ErgoAustria will organize a national day of occupational therapy. It had been celebrated for the first time in 2008. The events will take place on 2. 10. 2009, the focus is children´s health.
The ministry of health started to work on national guidelines in health care. Occupational therapists are represented in the working groups dealing with guidelines for dementia and Parkinson´s disease.
Within MTDAustria - the organisation of allied health professions - ErgoAustria is working on a portfolio for life long learning. This is - according to the declaration of the government, that such a portfolio should be introduced.
The number of courses offered by ErgoAustria increased rapidly during the last years. In 2008 60 courses were planned, 51 of them could take place.
In 2008/09 agreements could be signed with three assurance companies.
The Austrian Association of Occupational Therapists, ErgoAustria, is organizing a one day congress every two years. This year´s congress had for theme “evidence based practice in occupational therapy”. It took place on 27. March, 70 OTs were attending.
There were presentations about the need for evidence towards our stakeholders (clients as well as assurance companies), an introduction about the process of EBP, a summary about what is being done according to EBP by the German association DVE, a presentation about clinical reasoning and EBP – followed by examples from different fields of occupational therapy.
ErgoAustria will offer a course in EBP in 2010.
ErgoAustria will organize a national day of occupational therapy. It had been celebrated for the first time in 2008. The events will take place on 2. 10. 2009, the focus is children´s health.
The ministry of health started to work on national guidelines in health care. Occupational therapists are represented in the working groups dealing with guidelines for dementia and Parkinson´s disease.
Within MTDAustria - the organisation of allied health professions - ErgoAustria is working on a portfolio for life long learning. This is - according to the declaration of the government, that such a portfolio should be introduced.
The number of courses offered by ErgoAustria increased rapidly during the last years. In 2008 60 courses were planned, 51 of them could take place.
In 2008/09 agreements could be signed with three assurance companies.
September 2008
In May, the 29th and 30th, the „Day of Occupational Therapy“ with a focus on Independent Aging took place. It was a big event representing our profession in all major Austrian Cities to the public and in different media. The main goal was to gain publicity and awareness, especially on Occupational Therapy in the field of dementia, rheumatism, parkinson and stroke. In Vienna experts in geriatrics and rehabilitation discussed at the opening event together with OTs from the National Association at a round table. In the regional capital cities people were able to inform themselves in public places, like on the main squares or in health facilities. The regional groups of OTs invested a lot of time and energy in preparing this event, which was a success. The next “Day of Occupational Therapy” is planed to take place in 2009 with a focus on pediatrics.
In autumn 2008 the first master study program will start at the FH Campus in Vienna. For more information have a look at www.fh-campuswien.ac.at.
The Association of the 7 allied health professions in Austria is now called mtd-austria (www.mtd-austria.at). At the general meeting in December 2006 a new president was elected: Gabriele Jaksch (physiotherapist). Dominik Bischof (radiographer) was elected as vice-president. Marion Stadler, the president of the Austrian National Association of Occupational Therapists, is the treasurer. Due to the constitution of mtd-austria, the constitution of the Austrian National Association of Occupational Therapists has also been changed. Also the name of the Association has been changed to “ergo Austria – Bundesverband der ErgotherapeutInnen Österreichs”.
mtd-austria is trying to become the registering body for all its member professions. So far there is no professional registration for any of these groups in Austria. But according to European guidelines members of the allied health professions should be professionally registered in the future.
Two new regional groups of OTs have been established: in Upper Austria and in Burgenland.
Degree courses for OTs
In June 2005 the Austrian Parliament passed a law that among others also OT education should be changed from diploma to degree courses (bachelor). Two of the existing 8 education programmes (Graz, Wr. Neustadt) already started a degree course (Fachhochschule) in 2006, Salzburg and Vienna will follow in September 2007. Two further education programmes (Klagenfurt and Innsbruck) applied for accreditation of a degree course. Agreement between the Austrian National Association of Occupational Therapists and “Wiener Gebietskrankenkasse” (one of the health insurance organisations)In November 2005 an agreement between the Austrian National Association for Occupational Therapists and the biggest health insurance company in Vienna was signed. This was the result of long negotiations. Since April 2006, OT treatment of patients insured with this company is fully covered by the insurer. The agreed fee for OT services is at a reasonable level, higher than in other existing agreements with other smaller health insurance companies in Austria. So far most patients in Austria get only a part of the costs for OT services reimbursed. There have also been successful negotiations with other health insurance organisations during the last year (the reimbursed part being increased).