Introduction / Rationale:
Social media is proven to be an immense source of networking, transfer of knowledge, lifelong learning, and professional development which in return foster innovation, and build workforce and tech-based clinical practice. Occupational therapy (OT) may leverage digital platforms to enhance collaboration for global advancements across borders. Lower Middle Income Countries (LMIC) are still uncertain of its effective use. OT in Pakistan is also following the trend but its efficiency in empowering the workforce is still undermined due to a lack of expertise.
Objectives:
This study aims to explore the extent to which occupational therapy professionals in Pakistan utilize social media for professional development and networking and investigates the gap in utilizing smart tools and platforms for professional empowerment.
Methods / Approach:
An exploratory cross-sectional study was conducted on 110 members of the Pakistan Occupational Therapy Association based on questions related to participants' social media usage patterns, contribution to professional networking, content preference, perceived benefits, challenges, and digital skills.
Results / Practice Implications:
The result highlighted that 82.7 % of the respondents face time constraints out of which 51.7% lack institutional support in utilizing social media for professional networking. Only 36.2% of participants recognized the potential of social media in advancing occupational therapy in Pakistan. Whereas, the interest in training for collaborative networking, and information exchange remained low at 12.1%.
Conclusion / Contribution to the occupational therapy profession: