Types of Clinical Reasoning in Occupational Therapy

Types of Clinical Reasoning in Occupational Therapy

• Scientific Reasoning: uses applied logical and scientific methods, involves hypotheses, pattern recognition, theories, statistical evidence, and focuses on diagnosis/diagnosis, condition, and guiding theory.
• Diagnostic Reasoning: involves investigative reasoning and analysis, blends scientific reasoning with client-centered information, and focuses on personal and impersonal information.

Narrative Reasoning

• Attempts to understand the client's circumstance through narrative/story
• Considers the effect of the illness, disability, performance skills, activities, and occupations impacted, as well as client and family/social support
• Focuses on personal (past, present, future) and is client-centered and culturally sensitive

Pragmatic Reasoning

• Concerned with therapeutic interventions and realities of service delivery (scheduling, payment, equipment, and therapist skills)
• Focuses on physical, social, and payment aspects, as well as therapists' skills and time
• Typically not client-centered

Procedural Reasoning

• Involves interventions that are routines for identified conditions, based on science and reflecting habits and culture of the setting
• Focuses on routines and interventions typical of treatment options used in the setting

Ethical Reasoning

• Used to analyze ethical dilemmas and identify alternative solutions and actions
• Involves a systematic approach to figure out the ethical course of action

Interactive Reasoning

• Involves collaborative identification of problems and problem-solving with clients
• Focuses on client-centered, empathetic, and encourages client participation in the therapeutic process
• Seeks to understand the diagnosis from the client's perspective

Conditional Reasoning

• Blends different types of reasoning to best fit the client's needs
• Focuses on applying multiple clinical reasoning approaches, typically used by experienced therapists
• Client-centered, considering present and future needs

Collaborative Reasoning

• Assimilates several perspectives, including the client, OT, clinical team, family, social supports, caregivers, and employers
• Involves collaborative problem-solving and decision-making

Interprofessional Collaborative Practice

• Components include evaluation, intervention, documentation, objective data collection, clinical reasoning, effective communication, and client advocacy

Clinical Reasoning and Occupational Therapy's Domain of Practice

• OT's Domain of Practice includes occupations, contexts, performance patterns, performance skills, and client factors