The 52nd Japanese Occupational Therapy Congress & Expo in Nagoya 2018

An Invitation to the 52^nd Japanese Occupational Therapy Congress & Expo

2018, the year in which the 52nd Japanese Occupational Therapy Congress & Expo is to be held, will be a significant turning point for medical and nursing care policies because the year coincides with double revisions to the medical and nursing care fee systems, as well as double launches of the 7th Plans for Medical Care and the Long-term Care Service. In order to contribute to the establishment of community-based integrated care systems, which has been a key activity of the Japanese Association of Occupational Therapists (JAOT), we need to enhance the quality of community support programs, particularly lifestyle support services, including transportation and household chore services such as shopping, cooking, and cleaning assistance. More importantly, we need to make such systems sustainable. With the trend of integrating medical and nursing care in Japan, we occupational therapists will have an increasing number of opportunities to broaden the appeal of the importance of occupational therapy to various individuals and organizations, including private companies and NPOs. Additionally, on such occasions, it will be essential to do so with sufficient evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of occupational therapy.

The main theme of the 52nd Japanese Occupational Therapy Congress & Expo is “Enlargement of Evidence-Based Occupational Therapy.” It refers not only to the social demand for occupational therapy but also to our resolution to review and develop the academic basis of the therapy at the largest congress of its kind in Japan to continue contributing to the society in the future. For this purpose, the congress focuses on clinical research presentations that verify the effectiveness of occupational therapy, with themes looking into future actions in open and key lectures, and discussing current, evidence-based occupational therapy at symposiums. I sincerely hope that the congress will facilitate free and active discussions among as many participants as possible. I hope to see you in Nagoya.