Report on My Interviews

My interviews went well. Both of my people were more than willing to work with my schedule and were very open when I talked to them. Both interviews took about 20 minutes, and I got the chance to ask them some of my own questions when I was curious about how their job works.

Both of my interviewees talked about SOAP notes. These are the write ups they fill out after they meet with a patient. It discusses how the patient felt during the appointment, an objective evaluation from the OT, an assessment of how the patient is doing overall, and finally a plan for what is to come next. Also, Jenny Allen discussed reading from Physical Therapy and Athletic Training Journals. Lastly, Ivan Aranguren talked about promoting the use of occupational therapy through newspaper articles.

The SOAP notes are shorter and are usually written for other Occupational Therapists, so the language can be advanced when describing future techniques. These are very personal and are usually kept in the person's file or shared between therapists. The Academic Journals are also catered towards professionals in the field, but can be accessed by those who are not. They are also usually presenting large studies done in the field, as opposed to single private cases. The newspaper articles Aranguren was referencing are usually opinions, but always promoting the use of OT. Because they are printed for the public, the language is usually relatively simple, omitting terms used in the field that people who are not trained wouldn't understand.

The SOAP notes can be difficult depending on the patient. Overall, because OTs write them so often, they can be simple, but if the patient is being difficult or isn't progressing the way they should, the OT might have to change something about their plan through the SOAP note. The articles written for the Academic Journals are challenging because they have to be unbiased. They are presenting studies done, which includes explaining methods, results, and discussing the findings without promoting one thing or another. The newspaper articles are easier to write, but they still need to effectively promote OT services without it sounding like an advertisement. If it sounds like a certain clinic just wants a person's money, then no one is going to use their services, which is ineffective. If the article sounds genuine, then people are much more likely to listen to what the article is saying.

SOAP notes are generally hard to find because they are so private; however, if I search the internet long enough I can probably find some. Many Academic Journals are available online, as shown earlier in this deadline. This is in the academic media. The newspaper articles are probably either found in popular or social media, depending on how they are published. The ones that Ivan Aranguren were talking about are probably in the popular media.