臺灣職能治療之人力供需

The Manpower Supply and Demand of Occupational Therapy in Taiwan

為避免職能治療人力供需出現不平衡的問題，本研究分別探討目前及未來五年至十年職能治療人力供給與需求情形。人力供給方面主要根據現有職能治療科系所培育出之人力扣除流失率估計，人力需求方面除以問卷調查現有職能治療服務之機構對膱能治療人力之需求外，並根據86-90年間全民健保職能治療服務之利用情形，來推估未來五至十年對職能治療人力之需求。結果顯示，依現有職能治療科系培育之人力估算，至民國95年職能治療人力扣除醫療體系之需求外，尚餘584名，至民國100年則餘1747名。參考美國的發展，未來在長期照護體系、學校體系、社區健康照護體系以及職業復健等領域均將有更多職能治療人力之需求。因此相關教育單位宜及早規劃符合社會需要的職能治療教育課程；衛生、社政及勞政主管機關在制定相關法規時，也不需擔心職能治療人力不足的問題，而宜以人民健康及生活福祉為優先考量。

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the current demand and supply of occupational therapy (OT) manpower and predict the situation in the next five and ten years, so that possible imbalance between demand and supply may be prevented. The supply of OT manpower was investigated based on the current number of graduates from OT educational programs in the country, with the subtraction of the number of whom do not become OT practitioners. The manpower demand was investigated via a survey on institutions currently providing OT services. Information about the use of OT services reimbursed by the Nationwide Health Insurance was also investigated to predict the demand of OT manpower in the next five and ten years.The study results indicated that given the current supply of OT graduates, the number of occupational therapists will exceed the demand of the medical systems by 584 in the year of 2006; and 1747 in 2011. Should our country look up the health care and social welfare situations in the United States, more OT manpower is needed in areas such as long-term care, school system, community health care, vocational rehabilitation, and so forth. It is suggested that OT educational programs incorporate societal needs into their curricula, and that ministries of health, social welfare, and labor should put people’s health and welfare at the top priority while making related policies, instead of worrying about insufficient OT manpower.