Lay summary
The aim of this research is to improve rehabilitation and health outcomes in Aotearoa. Sleep plays a significant role in illness and injury recovery. Conversely, insufficient and disturbed sleep in clients with a range of health conditions is associated with poorer rehabilitation outcomes, longer hospital stays, and higher healthcare costs. Despite this, healthcare professionals receive little in the way of education and resources on sleep. Occupational therapists are allied health professionals who play a crucial role in rehabilitation and health promotion. This project will develop and strengthen Māori and non-Māori networks to build a health delivery research team and identify occupational therapy sleep education and resource gaps and priorities. Findings will inform future health delivery research to develop, implement and evaluate sleep resources for occupational therapists. This is vital for supporting equitable health outcomes for Māori who are disproportionately impacted by both poor sleep and poor health due to colonisation.