How Do Occupational Therapists in Israel Perceive the Impact of Health Systems Management on their Profession

Abstract

This study examined how occupational therapists in Israel understand the impact of health systems management on their profession. This research project aimed to address a significant gap examining system manager practices in relation to therapists lived experiences concerning quality of care, job satisfaction, well-being and career development. Semi- structured qualitative interviews with 40 occupational therapists from multiple settings across Israel (using snowball methodology) were conducted. Thematic analysis revealed that bureaucracy, lack of management support for therapists, and very few continuous professional development options directly impacted therapists' professional functioning and emotional resilience. This study demonstrated that Health systems management plays a substantive role on therapist functioning, well-being, and mental health. Recommendations included addressing excessive administrative work, supporting therapist development of professional autonomy, and fostering continuous developments options for therapists. Theoretically, the study contributes to the organizational literature and occupational therapy literature, and practically, calls for system-level activities to develop better well-being and patient care outcomes for therapists.