bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Review of Specialist Section Research and Development Strategies
Authors: Hampson Helen
Published: April 2015

In 2001, the College of Occupational Therapists' Research and Development Strategic Vision and Action Plan (Ilott and White 2001) was published to provide a framework for the activities of the COT's Research and Development Group and Board for the next 5 years. On publication, the COT's Research and Development Officers worked with the specialist sections of the COT to help them to develop their own research and development strategic visions and action plans. The structure for these plans followed the COT strategy, with associated action points being tailored to the needs of each specialist section. The specialist sections agreed to review progress in achieving the action points on an annual basis, and it was also agreed that an overall review of the strategies would take place in line with the review of the COT's Research and Development Strategic Vision and Action Plan in 2006.

An executive summary of the review undertaken by the COT's Research and Development Group is presented. A copy of the full report is available in the COT library, and via the specialist section pages of the COT website.
Survey of Occupational Therapy/Occupational Science Research being Undertaken within the European Community
Authors: Mayers Christine A , Nilsson Åsa Lundgren , Stamm Tanja , van Nes Fenna , Voigt-Radloff Sebastian
Published: April 2015

The European Cooperation in Occupational Therapy Research and Occupational Science (ECOTROS) aims to bring together occupational therapists interested in research in order to promote and facilitate international cooperation. In 2005/06, a survey was undertaken to identify the occupational therapists and institutions that were undertaking research in each country in Europe and to discover the topic, range and type of research. Responses to questionnaires were obtained from 113 individuals and information was given about 143 studies being undertaken within 7 countries. The results of the survey state the academic qualifications, work areas and research topics of the participants; the professions of the supervisors; and the sources of the funding.
Can Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) help Children with Asperger's Syndrome to Master Social and Organisational Goals?
Authors: Rodger Sylvia , Ireland Simone , Vun Martine
Published: April 2015

Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) is a cognitive problem-solving approach that has recently been used with children with Asperger's syndrome (AS) to achieve motor-based goals. Children with AS have a marked impairment in social interaction, which is pervasive and continues across the lifespan. Many of these children also experience organisational difficulties. There has been limited research regarding social skills interventions for children with AS. Existing social skills interventions lack evidence for the generalisation and transfer of learned skills to new environments.

This paper presents two case studies of children with AS to address both the utility and the potential of CO-OP to enable mastery of social and organisational goals. Two boys, aged 10 and 12, engaged in 10 CO-OP sessions. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, the Social Skills Rating Scale and the Performance Quality Rating Scale were used to determine goal achievement pre-intervention and post-intervention. The post-intervention measures showed that both children improved in social and organisational skills, and they generalised and transferred their learning to their home and school environments. Modifications to CO-OP for children with AS, study limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Patterns and Antecedents of the Development of Self-Awareness following Traumatic Brain Injury: The Importance of Occupation
Authors: Dirette Diane K , Plaisier Brian R , Jones Susan J
Published: April 2015

The purpose of this study was to explore the pattern of the development of self-awareness following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Further, the antecedents to change in self-awareness and the use of compensatory strategies were examined.

A longitudinal descriptive method was used with 18 adult participants and their significant others. Each pair was interviewed at 1 week, 1 month, 4 months and 1 year post-injury, using the Awareness Questionnaire, the Patient Assessment of Own Functioning Inventory and the Personal Evaluation of Community Integration. Comparative analyses were conducted between the participants and their significant others, as well as among the different levels of severity of brain injury.

The participants with mild TBI showed better self-awareness than the participants with moderate/severe TBI. By 1 year post-injury, however, the level of self-awareness for the participants with mild TBI was not significantly different from that for the participants with moderate/severe TBI. The pattern of the development of self-awareness was different between the two groups. The participants with mild TBI initially overestimated deficits, but demonstrated good self-awareness throughout. The participants with moderate/severe TBI significantly underestimated deficits, but demonstrated a gradual increase in self-awareness. The reported antecedents to self-awareness were similar. Both groups primarily used a comparison of their ability to perform familiar occupations after the injury as a means for developing self-awareness.

Severity of injury and time post-injury are both significant variables in the pattern of recovery of self-awareness following TBI. Occupational therapists should consider the use of familiar occupations to assist in the recovery process.
‘Alchemy and Magic’: The Experience of Using Clay for People with Chronic Illness and Disability
Authors: Timmons Alexandra , MacDonald Elaine
Published: April 2015

Clay is used within various therapeutic settings, yet within the occupational therapy literature there is a significant lack of evidence to support its use. This phenomenological study sought to enquire into the experience of ceramics as a creative leisure pursuit for people living with long-term physical health problems. Six people responded to an invitation to participate published in an international ceramics journal. They were given the choice to be interviewed by telephone or in person, or to provide a written account about their experience of engaging in ceramics. The criteria for recruitment were people living with a chronic illness or a physical disability who currently engaged in the occupation of ceramics.

The data collection and analysis utilised interpretative phenomenological analysis. Four main themes emerged from the data analysis: being productive and creating, promoting physical and psychological wellbeing, enhancing opportunities for social interaction and ‘alchemy and magic’. All the participants reported ways in which working with clay was beneficial to their health and contributed to personal wellbeing. The ceramic process afforded opportunities for experiencing flow and creative adventure, enabled social contacts, enhanced self-worth and provided the participants with a sense of achievement, all of which appeared to promote successful adaptation to ill health. For a minority, the material itself enabled expression about feelings of loss and, in some cases, maintained physical functioning. These findings have relevance for occupational therapists because they suggest that a meaningful creative occupation may be helpful for people learning to cope with chronic conditions.
The Way We Were: Romantic Assumptions of Pioneering Occupational Therapists in the United Kingdom
Authors: Hocking Clare
Published: April 2015

This is the first in a series of three articles that explores occupational therapy's philosophical foundations in rationalism and Romanticism. The articles report the findings of a study that employed a history of ideas approach, which centres on the ideas people hold and how those change over time. The core idea in this study was that people's sense of themselves is expressed through the things that they have and use, a proposition that was explored in the context of occupational therapy as it was becoming established in the United Kingdom. The data comprised references to objects in occupational therapy texts and a precursor to the British journal published in England in the 25-year period between 1938 and 1962, which were analysed to identify the ways in which therapists thought about the things that they used in practice, along with those that they asked their patients to make.

This article focuses on occupational therapists' Romantic assumptions. It introduces the Romantics, together with their historical context and their ideas, and outlines how those ideas were transmitted to occupational therapy through the Arts and Crafts Movement. It then discusses occupational therapists' Romantic accounts of the tragedy of illness and disability, the dehumanising effects of industrial labour, the joy of crafting things by hand and the transformative potential of occupational therapy. Finally, the seeds of discontent with Romanticism that surfaced within the profession are identified.
An Autoethnographic Exploration of an Occupation: Doing a PhD
Authors: Taylor Jackie
Published: April 2015

The systematic and detailed study of occupations is challenging to occupational therapists, who would wish to understand better their meanings and therapeutic value. Such a study must attempt to capture the complexities of occupational form and performance, recognising occupations as spatially, socially and temporally situated phenomena that are culturally recognised and individually experienced.

Autoethnography is a methodological approach in which the researcher is the focus of the research. It offers a way of accessing personal experience by focusing on physical artefacts, documentary evidence and reflections, and so is particularly useful for studying the complexity of occupational engagement. With ‘doing-a-PhD’ as its focus, this study used autoethnography to explore the subjective experience of engagement with an occupation in order to understand better its complexity, meaning and possible therapeutic value.

The findings are presented under six headings, which explore the personal and social aspects of the occupation, the ways in which it interfaces with the contexts of time and space, its relationship with other occupations and roles, and the process of transformation that it brings about. The limitations of the approach are discussed and the implications of the study for occupational therapists are proposed.
The Way We Were: Thinking Rationally
Authors: Hocking Clare
Published: April 2015

This is the second of three articles arising from a study that employed a history of ideas approach to explore how occupational therapists working in the United Kingdom before 1962 thought about their practice. The perspective taken was that people think about things in ways that are consistent with Western society's philosophical roots in Romanticism and rationalism. The data were drawn from books and journals published between 1938 and 1962. The purpose of the study was to learn about the profession as it was being established, in order to increase understanding of current practice issues and concerns.

The focus of this article is occupational therapists' rationalism, which is evident in their careful accrual of technical expertise and attempts to account for their practice. Over time, occupational therapists' proclivity to organise and expand their knowledge base supported developments in vocational rehabilitation and activities of daily living programmes. These efforts were encouraged by other health professions and while they helped to secure occupational therapists' place in rehabilitation settings, they also contributed to the decline in craftwork, an emphasis on independence in activities of daily living, and circumscribed therapeutic goals.
Factors associated with the Acquisition of Expertise in Upper Limb Hypertonicity Management
Authors: Burgess Tegan , Rassafiani Mehdi , Copley Jodie
Published: April 2015

Upper limb hypertonicity management is a complex domain, in which there is limited high level evidence to support treatment approaches. Therefore, it is important to identify clinical experts to assist practice development. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the factors related to clinical experience and the development of expertise in this area.

Through correspondence, 29 therapists were asked to choose the most appropriate intervention for 60 case vignettes. The responses were examined using the Cochran-Weiss-Shanteau Index of Performance, and were analysed in regard to therapists' ability to prescribe differing interventions based on differences in the vignettes and on their consistency when vignettes were unknowingly repeated.

The number of professional development activities that the therapists had undertaken since attaining occupational therapy qualifications was the only factor significantly associated with increased levels of expertise. The factors not significantly associated with increased expertise included therapists' work setting, years of experience and current proportion of caseload comprising hypertonicity. The results indicated that expertise gained in the area of hypertonicity was not specific to clients' age or condition because, although all vignettes presented were those of children with cerebral palsy, there was no significant difference in the expertise found between paediatric and adult therapists. Further research is warranted to investigate the forms of professional development that best support the development of expertise in this area.
An Evaluation of a Role-Emerging Practice Placement Model for a Full Cohort of Occupational Therapy Students
Authors: Thew Miranda , Hargreaves Allyson , Cronin-Davis Jane
Published: April 2015

It is accepted that practice placements are instrumental in providing an invaluable education on professional concepts, attitudes and behaviours. However, despite suggestions that practice placement education needs to be modernised to meet the demands of the current climate, there is only evidence of a limited number of role-emerging placements within the United Kingdom despite their relative popularity and history abroad. This paper describes and briefly evaluates a ‘model’ of practice placement education within role-emerging settings for a full cohort of pre-registration occupational therapy students, which meets national and international standards and guidance for such programmes.
An Evaluation of an Integrated Occupational Therapy Student Conference
Authors: Awang Darren , Archer Keren
Published: April 2015

Within the arts, final year graduate degree shows are a common method of displaying and publicising student work and attracting future employers. Despite a myriad of potential benefits, this tradition appears to be much less developed within the education of undergraduate health and social care professions. This paper presents a rationale for the development of a student conference, outlines the process and provides key areas for consideration resulting from an evaluation of the 2005 occupational therapy student conference, ‘Evidence Inspires!’
Assessments of Upper Limb Ability following Stroke: A Review
Authors: Rowland Tennille J , Gustafsson Louise
Published: April 2015

The aim of this paper was to review the psychometric properties and clinical utility of assessments of upper limb ability following stroke. Upper limb ability was defined as the use of the arm in meaningful activity. The database searches identified 13 assessments of upper limb ability. The inclusion criteria were (a) an evaluation of upper limb ability post-stroke, (b) a quantitative assessment yielding a numerical score, (c) able to be administered by an occupational therapist and (d) published information building on the results of a review in 2001. The assessments included were reviewed with respect to the ability measured, equipment required, evidence of reliability and validity, and advantages and disadvantages of use.

Seven assessments satisfied the inclusion criteria. These assessments have undergone varying degrees of psychometric testing as outcome measures for upper limb recovery and all demonstrate at least adequate levels of reliability and validity. There is variation in the availability of instruction manuals and time commitments for test administration. All test items are generally available and inexpensive, enabling departments to set up the assessments with minimal financial outlay.

The assessments described are regularly used in research and all demonstrate psychometric properties that suggest that they could be incorporated into clinical practice. Occupational therapists are encouraged to consider how they may include these assessments into their own clinical practice. An important step in this process may be further research into the clinical utility of these assessments.
Forensic Psychiatry and Vocational Rehabilitation: Where are We at?
Authors: Dunn Christopher , Seymour Alison
Published: April 2015

Having a productive occupation is seen as fundamental to an individual's health and wellbeing. Employment provides structure, self-identity, a means to provide for oneself and social inclusion. The Government has made a commitment to invest in supporting people back into the workplace following illness. This opinion piece reflects the authors' interest in how this applies to service users with a forensic history, who face additional barriers to employment. It calls on occupational therapists to share research and practice accounts of vocational rehabilitation within forensic settings in order to contribute to the evidence base for this area of occupational therapy practice.
An Occupational Perspective on the Assessment of Social Competence in Children
Authors: Lim Sok Mui , Rodger Sylvia
Published: April 2015

Maintaining relationships and interacting socially are essential aspects of the occupational performance of childhood and adolescence. Social participation occurs during many childhood occupations, such as play and school work. Occupational therapists assess and treat children with difficulties in social participation. Rather than assessing a child's social skills deficits in isolation, the use of occupation-based theoretical models guides clinicians to consider the individual in his or her environments and during occupations. Familiarity with existing models of social competence and available assessment tools provides occupational therapists with the basis for a comprehensive assessment of children.

This paper presents an occupational therapy model (the Model of Human Occupation), models of social competence from cognate fields and a range of assessment tools in order to guide occupational therapists in assessing and treating children with social participation difficulties in a more occupation-centred manner. The paper also presents a rationale for the use of multiple methods for a comprehensive assessment of a child's social competence.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Occupational Disruption in Primary Care: Is There a Role for Occupational Therapy?
Authors: Hughes Julie L
Published: April 2015

This paper presents the findings of a postal survey that examined the experience of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) in the primary care setting. The views of 51 general practitioners (GPs) (response rate of 30%) and 51 people that had experienced CFS/ME (response rate of 61%) were collected in an attempt to describe both the occupational disruption experienced due to CFS/ME and the current management offered in primary care, and to investigate whether there was an early intervention role for occupational therapy.

The greatest level of occupational disruption reported was in the performance of self-care and productivity tasks and the most helpful intervention reported was that of acknowledgement of the condition and its implications. The GPs rated the use of cognitive behavioural therapy and graded exercise therapy as more beneficial than medical care for CFS/ME and many offered advice on these interventions, but 57% of people with CFS/ME reported that they had received unhelpful advice and/or treatment from their GP. Currently, there is little research evidence to support any particular interventions for people with CFS/ME in primary care and the prevention of occupational dysfunction, as often seen in secondary and tertiary care, is a role that could be fulfilled by occupational therapists.
An Evaluation of the Validity of the Test of Visual Perceptual Skills - Revised (TVPS-R) Using the Rasch Measurement Model
Authors: Brown Ted , Rodger Sylvia
Published: April 2015

The visual perceptual skills of children are often evaluated by health care and education practitioners. Even though the Test of Visual Perceptual Skills - Revised (TVPS-R) is one of the most frequently used instruments with school-age children, its construct validity has not been evaluated thoroughly. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the scalability/interval level measurement, unidimensionality, lack of differential item functioning (DIF), and hierarchical ordering of items of the TVPS-R and its seven subscales using the Rasch Measurement Model (RMM). The TVPS-R scores from a sample of 356 normally developing children (171 boys and 185 girls), ranging in age from 5 to 11 years, were used to complete the RMM analysis.

When the seven individual TVPS-R scales were analysed, they all exhibited adequate measurement properties (scalability/interval level measurement, unidimensionality, lack of DIF, and hierarchical ordering). However, when they were collapsed together to form an overall composite scale of motor-free visual perceptual skills, the TVPS-R items failed to group together to measure a unidimensional construct. In addition, many scale items exhibited RMM misfit or DIF.

The results suggest that the seven TVPS-R subscales can be used on an individual basis with clients to generate a profile of their motor-free visual perceptual skills, but that they cannot be summed together to calculate an overall summary motor-free visual perceptual score or perceptual quotient. The TVPS-R composite scale does not exhibit adequate construct validity.
Cancer-Related Fatigue: A Review and a Conceptual Framework to Guide Therapists' Understanding
Authors: Pureell Amanda , Fleming Jennifer , Haines Terry , Bennett Sally
Published: April 2015

Cancer-related fatigue is reported as the most common and distressing symptom experienced by people with cancer. There is limited research published to guide occupational therapists working with people with cancer to help address this distressing symptom. This article reviews literature on cancer-related fatigue and identifies several factors associated with the development of fatigue, including underlying medical factors and other factors.

The underlying medical factors reported in the literature include biomedical mechanisms, such as anaemia, proinflammatory cytokines and specific cellular processes; disease-related factors; treatment-related factors; and comorbid conditions. Other factors reviewed include physical or behavioural factors, such as poor nutrition, decreased activity, sleep disturbance and pain; psychological factors, including anxiety and depression; and sociodemographic factors, such as social support, employment and education.

The review identified a variety of factors associated with cancer-related fatigue, which must be considered by occupational therapists working with people with cancer. This presents a challenge to the clinical reasoning of occupational therapists attempting to treat such people. A framework of factors contributing to cancer-related fatigue is proposed in order to guide both the practice of occupational therapists working with adults with cancer and future research in this area.
Occupational Therapy Defined as a Complex Intervention: A 5-Year Review
Authors: Creek Jennifer
Published: April 2015

This paper describes the review of the impact of the College of Occupational Therapists' publication, Occupational therapy defined as a complex intervention (Creek 2003). The background to the publication is outlined briefly. The method of data collection and the descriptive-explanatory method of data analysis are described.

The three main findings are presented: occupational therapists have continued to access the definition throughout the 5 years since it was published; the definition has been read and used both in the United Kingdom and in other countries; and the definition is understood and used in a variety of different ways and for different purposes. The paper concludes that the definition of occupational therapy as a complex intervention captured a major shift in how occupational therapists understand the world, but that this way of thinking needs to be embedded more fully into all pre-registration and post-registration education programmes.
Triaging Patients for Allied Health Services: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Harding Katherine , Taylor Nicholas , Shaw-Stuart Lisa
Published: April 2015

Occupational therapists and other allied health clinicians often need to make decisions about the relative urgency of referrals, which patients should be seen first and, in some cases, whether patients require services at all. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to investigate the properties and outcomes of triage systems applied to patients referred to allied health services. Literature was searched through the CINAHL, EMBASE and MEDLINE databases (until March 2008), combining the key elements of ‘allied health’ and ‘triage’. Seven articles were identified that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and these were assessed against quality criteria and a process of descriptive synthesis applied for the purpose of analysis and comparison.

The findings indicate that there has been little investigation of the outcomes of allied health triage systems. Studies that have assessed triage systems have focused largely on measurement properties and the majority of these have indicated poor to fair reliability. A first step in introducing allied health triage systems is to establish reliability, involving the patient directly in the assessment process. There is not yet sufficient evidence to recommend any particular triage system for application to allied health services.
An Exploration of Communication between Clients and Professionals in the Design of Home Adaptations
Authors: Nord Catharina , Eakin Pamela , Astley Phil , Atkinson Andrew R
Published: April 2015

This study explored communications between the people involved in the design of home adaptations, including clients and carers, occupational therapists, surveyors and builders. The aims were to explore (i) what constituted good communication in this context and (ii) how communication occurred. One London borough was selected as a case study. All participants lived or worked within the borough and had been involved in the adaptation process. Nineteen individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with six clients, four occupational therapists, six grant surveyors and three builders.

The findings suggest that the professionals constituted a ‘community of practice’ (Wenger 1998) within which communication was good. The professionals used plan drawings to support communication between them. However, the study found that client involvement in the design was limited and that plan drawings were not effective tools in communication with them. The clients relied on the occupational therapist to represent their interests in the design process. Occupational therapists' communication with clients on the design of adaptations may be enhanced by the development and use of more sophisticated visualisation tools to replace the plan drawings. This would enable clients to become more engaged in the adaptations process.
Equipment Provision by Local Authority Occupational Therapy Teams Using the Fair Access to Care Services Eligibility Framework: A Vignette and Interview Study
Authors: Sackley Catherine , Lett Karen , Littlechild Rosemary
Published: April 2015

Purpose:

In April 2003, the first national eligibility framework for adult services, Fair Access to Care Services (FACS), was implemented by local authorities in England. The intention was to ensure equity in the provision of adaptive equipment. This study examined how the criteria were being used by local authority occupational therapy teams and if equity was being achieved.

Procedure:

Five vignettes or hypothetical case histories were used to capture the experiences of a purposefully selected group of 12 employees from three local authority occupational therapy teams in the Midlands. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted to explore the themes raised by responses to the vignettes. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis was independently conducted by two of the authors.

Findings:

There are inconsistencies in the access to services and the use of eligibility criteria, particularly at the point of entry to the service and for those people who are classified as having ‘low’ level needs. However, there is consistency within professional practice and evidence that staff prioritise client need.

Conclusion:

The implementation of FACS has been inconsistent and has not resulted in equity of provision. Some occupational therapy staff appear to prioritise the needs of clients above organisational policies.
Fishy Tales: Experiences of the Occupation of Keeping Fish as Pets
Authors: Langfield Janaya , James Carole
Published: April 2015

Pet ownership is an occupation that has benefits for human health and wellbeing. However, research on pet ownership mainly addresses the benefits of interactive pets, such as dogs and cats. Some individuals are unable to participate in the occupation of interactive pet ownership and, therefore, may be deprived of the benefits that pets can bring to their lives. This research used a qualitative, phenomenological methodology to explore the ownership of fish as pets.

Data were collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews and were analysed inductively. Nine participants were interviewed and the following themes were identified from the data collected: the reasons for owning fish as pets; the fish environment; caring for fish; and the benefits of owning fish as pets. It was discovered that pet fish ownership is a meaningful occupation that provides purpose and enjoyment in life. The findings of this study suggest that pet fish may be an alternative to interactive pets, and one that therapists can recommend to clients who wish to own a pet.
The Balance of Occupation-Focused and Generic Tasks within a Mental Health and Learning Disability Occupational Therapy Service
Authors: Parkinson Sue , Forsyth Kirsty , Durose Sharon , Mason Russell , Harris Dick
Published: April 2015

A service-wide audit was conducted (audit 1, 2002) to ascertain the balance of occupation-focused versus generic tasks being undertaken by occupational therapists. This identified that 66% of all tasks were occupation focused, whereas only 41% of all assessments could be described as such. Recommendations were pursued to implement occupation-focused assessments. Audit 2 (2005) showed that the majority of assessments were occupation focused (61%), and audits 3 (2006) and 4 (2007) indicated that this increase was maintained. Audit 4 also demonstrated the negative impact of care coordination duties on an occupational therapist's ability to complete occupation-focused assessments.
Space at Home for Families with a Child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Pengelly Sue , Rogers Phil , Evans Kerri
Published: April 2015

The interrelationship between the home environment, occupations and wellbeing was explored in relation to the lived experiences of three families with a child diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Each family had acquired an extra downstairs room through moving or adapting their home, which they dedicated to their child with ASD. This project used diary records and narrative interviews to gain an in-depth understanding of how the room was used, the meaning that the family attached to this additional space and its impact on their occupational engagement.

The findings reflected the complexity of problems experienced by children with ASD and their families. They revealed that dedicated physical space was experienced as important personal, emotional and occupational space for all family members.

This study helps to develop a theoretical understanding of the importance of establishing a good fit between individuals with developmental disabilities and their home environment. It argues that space at home influences the behaviour of children with ASD, the stress levels of their parents and the occupational engagement of all members of their family, and emphasises the importance of adequate space at home for children with ASD and their families.
Developing the Local Workforce: Is Work-Based Learning the Solution?
Authors: Baxter Theresa , Blackbourn Sara , Hussey Deborah , Nicklin Linda
Published: April 2015

This evaluation sets out to identify the main aspects of establishing and delivering a work-based occupational therapy programme. Although work-based learning is not a new concept, it is a new approach for delivering education to occupational therapy students. The evaluation considers the significant role of the practitioner lecturer in delivering the programme and explores the benefits and challenges of providing a locally work-based occupational therapy degree programme.
From Practice to Praxis: Reconnecting Moral Vision with Philosophical Underpinnings
Authors: Wilding Clare , Whiteford Gail
Published: April 2015

In this article, it is argued that in order to meet the profession's ethical and moral obligations, occupational therapists need to ensure that they are connected to the philosophical foundations of occupational therapy. By making occupational therapy practice occupation-focused, therapists guarantee that they provide a unique and valuable contribution to multidisciplinary teams and that they help to meet all the needs of patients. The findings from an action research study of 15 occupational therapists' practice in an urban Australian acute hospital setting are used to illustrate that occupational therapy practice can and should be occupation-focused.

Research data were gathered through audio-recording and transcribing individual interviews and research group meetings. The data were analysed qualitatively using non-linear formal and informal processes. The findings were as follows: having a clear professional vision increased the confidence of co-researchers; attending to patients' occupational needs increased the therapists' motivation to engage in more occupation-focused practice; and therapists felt increased satisfaction when their practice was occupation-focused. The article concludes by advocating that occupational therapists can be wiser and more ethical practitioners by engaging in praxis, a form of moral, reflective practice scholarship, particularly through participating in communities of practice that focus on understanding and developing ways of enabling occupation.
Effectiveness of Work Injury Prevention Education and Safety Training by an Occupational Therapist
Authors: Fisher Thomas F , Brodzinski-Andreae Brandi , Zook Stacy
Published: April 2015

Limiting or eliminating work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) is a goal of many employers. Understanding risk factors associated with WRMSDs assists workers in avoiding these factors. The purposes of this study were to determine employees' awareness of risk factors of WRMSDs and their knowledge for avoiding such risks and to evaluate the effectiveness of injury prevention of WRMSD education by an occupational therapist.

Sixty-one employees (both supervisors and employees) at a university animal research laboratory participated. They were given a pre-test survey before the injury prevention education. They were next provided with an hour's training and then given a post-test survey.

There was statistical significance with four of the five items on the test instrument when comparing the pre-test and the post-test results. This demonstrates knowledge gained from the training. The conclusion supported injury prevention training from an occupational therapist on risk factors associated with WRMSDs and employers should consider such training.
Using Social Judgment Theory method to examine how experienced occupational therapy driver assessors use information to make fitness-to-drive recommendations
Authors: Unsworth Carolyn , Harries Priscilla , Davies Miranda
Published: April 2015

Introduction

As people with a range of disabilities strive to increase their community mobility, occupational therapy driver assessors are increasingly required to make complex recommendations regarding fitness-to-drive. However, very little is known about how therapists use information to make decisions. The aim of this study was to model how experienced occupational therapy driver assessors weight and combine information when making fitness-to-drive recommendations and establish their level of decision agreement.

Method

Using Social Judgment Theory method, this study examined how 45 experienced occupational therapy driver assessors from the UK, Australia and New Zealand made fitness-to-drive recommendations for a series of 64 case scenarios. Participants completed the task on a dedicated website, and data were analysed using discriminant function analysis and an intraclass correlation coefficient.

Results

Accounting for 87% of the variance, the cues central to the fitness-to-drive recommendations made by assessors are the client’s physical skills, cognitive and perceptual skills, road law craft skills, vehicle handling skills and the number of driving instructor interventions. Agreement (consensus) between fitness-to-drive recommendations was very high: intraclass correlation coefficient = .97, 95% confidence interval .96–.98).

Conclusion

Findings can be used by both experienced and novice driver assessors to reflect on and strengthen the fitness-to-drive recommendations made to clients.
A new approach to the assessment of cognition in drivers: Applying the multiple errands test for use in a simple parking exercise
Authors: Lanceley Sarah
Published: April 2015

Statement of context: The assessment of fitness to drive can often involve cognitive screening carried out by an occupational therapist. In the field of driving assessment there is a challenge to select and administer suitable office-based cognitive tests, in conjunction with an on-road assessment, which can be used to provide supporting evidence of a client’s fitness to drive. Critical reflection on practice: This practice analysis aims to reflect on the inherent problems of office-based testing. Implications for practice: The author describes the development of a cognitive test based on the Multiple Errands Test - Hospital Version, which can be used while driving in a real-life situation.
Drama for the Mentally Ill
Authors: Haggett Patricia , Hunter Lindsay
Published: April 2015

Drama can capture and even retain the interest of patients in a Mental Hospital. Far more is learnt from experience than from secondhand accounts, so we hope that a brief account of the joys and hazards of producing a variety concert with the mentally sick may be not only of passing interest but also of lasting value.
The Place of Psychology in the Professions Allied to Medicine, with Particular Reference to Occupational Therapy
Authors: Smith-Rose M.
Published: April 2015

So much interest has been expressed in the following article by Miss M. Smith-Rose, T.M.A.O.T., of Exminster Hospital, Devon, that Part I of the article which originally appeared in our June issue is reprinted with Part II.

Apologies are offered to Miss Smith-Rose for errors in referencing which appeared in our June issue. These errors have been amended to accord with those of Part II.
Doctor Discusses Relations between Remedial and Medical Professions
Authors: Richings Jane
Published: April 2015

The Co-ordinating Committee on the Implementation of the Report on the Remedial Professions have recently been considering the relationship between the remedial and medical professions. They had heard that Dr. D. R. L. Newton who was at that time President of the British Association for Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, had views on this relationship which would, they felt, make a constructive contribution to discussion. They, therefore, requested the D.H.S.S. to ask Dr. Newton if he would be willing to set out his views. He did this and has agreed that the following letter could be made available to members of the remedial professions.
Remember How the World Has Changed
Authors: Hume Clephane A.
Published: April 2015

This article discusses some of the problems encountered during the author's work on the rehabilitation team at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. The facilities there include a ladder of transistional care, ranging from the token economy ward to group games within the hospital and group tenancies for patients discharged to day care (in all, 97 beds). Gradual reduction in supervision is accompanied by increased demands in the work situation.

The occupational therapist is responsible for planning work programmes and advising on other aspects of care, organising individual assessments and programmes as required.
Flying Wheelchair
Authors: Whitehead Margaret
Published: April 2015

Travelling by air with a group of young people in wheelchairs nowadays presents no real problem. However there are a number of small difficulties that with a little extra consideration can be avoided. These difficulties can be caused by both parties — the wheelchair group and the airlines, and the following hints will apply wherever these two are combined.
Survey of Aids Centres 1978–1979
Authors: Jeff Olive , Chamberlain M. A.
Published: April 2015

This Survey was a project of the Rheumatism Research Unit, School of Medicine, University of Leeds, on behalf of the British Rheumatism and Arthritis Association. The final documents are too detailed to be quoted in full. This is a narrative account using some extracts of particular interest to Occupational Therapists.
The O.T. Students' Working Party
Authors: Carne Edwin , Horne Alan S.
Published: April 2015

The Occupational Therapy Students' Working Party was set up in 1977 as part of the National Union of Students (Health Students Sector). It draws its support from amongst students throughout Britain. Working Party meetings and conferences, which all O. T. students can attend, are held in different colleges. To date the O.T. Students' Working Party has organised four conferences and produced papers and publications; it involves itself in issues of student welfare, discipline, patient care and educational methods. An executive carries out most of the day-to-day business. Here two students describe the Working Party's ethos and function.
Using the Medical Library
Authors: Valentine Paul
Published: April 2015

The article presents some advice and guidance on the use of library services, indicating how to go about collecting information for a project and the sorts of enquiries with which they can help. Among the topics covered are the location of material through sources such as catalogues and indexes and the use of interlibrary loan facilities.
Spontaneous Painting
Authors: Cory-Wright Jane
Published: April 2015

Many Occupational Therapists and members of other disciplines have found painting a valuable therapeutic aid for developing expression and gaining a positive response from psychiatric, geriatric, mentally ill and mentally handicapped patients, as well as the physically disabled. The author, who runs a painting school in Somerset, discusses her own approach and work.
On the Case and Treatment of Strokes
Authors: Squire Carol
Published: April 2015

Report of a one day Multi-disciplinary Seminar held at the Royal Hospital and Home for Incurables, on Thursday 13th May 1982, and organised by R.H.H.I. and the Development Trust for the Young Disabled, in association with the Chest, Heart and Stroke Association.
Suggested Readings in Neuropsychology
Authors: Howard Prudence A.
Published: April 2015

The literature on neuropsychology, with emphasis on perception, is discussed. The author mentions, with references, some of the books, journals and particular articles that as an occupational therapist she has found useful.
Psychiatric Rehabilitation
Authors: Burrows Elizabeth
Published: April 2015

Rehabilitation has come to mean more than what is contained in standard dictionary definitions, as the author explains at the outset. Historical developments are described because in future years the current approach to mental illness might be regarded as a watershed between custodial and community care. Consideration is also given to some aspects of present day practices with ‘Long-stay’ and ‘New long-stay’ patients. Finally rehabilitation may be regarded as no longer an adjunct but an integral part of the process of care of the mentally ill. All rehabilitation is at risk if adequate resources are not available.
Clinical Supervisors' Study Day — A Report
Authors: Barnitt Rosemary , Adams Pauline
Published: April 2015

The Biennial Clinical Superiors' Study Day was held in London on 19th November 1982. Attendance was very good which perhaps reflects the interest of clinical supervisors in the development of ‘Diploma Course 1981’ and its effect on the role of the supervisor.
Training Agoraphobics in Groups
Authors: Taylor Ian
Published: April 2015

This article describes a procedure for training agoraphobics in groups which could be set-up and run by occupational therapists. Details on assessment and therapeutic principles are discussed. Some data is provided concerning the effectiveness of such a procedure, with special reference to a single case. Advantages and disadvantages of the approach are discussed.
Planned and Progressive Teaching in Clinical Practice
Authors: Peck Christine , Hong Chia Swee
Published: April 2015

Clinical practice has long been recognised as an essential part of occupational therapy education. Occupational therapy students should be given ample opportunities to study and practise the skills they need to learn under close supervision. It is essential for any clinical placement to be a planned one. This article describes how one occupational therapy department sets up one clinical placement.
Assessment and Preparation for Work a Function of Occupational Therapy?
Authors: Lockie Diana
Published: April 2015

Report of a conference jointly organised by the D.H.S.S. and the College of Occupational Therapists and held in London in October 1982. This account summarises the discussions upon three reports, on the subject of assessment and preparation for work which were published in 1982, and the contributions made by representatives of different disciplines and organisations. The views of occupational therapists with special interest in this matter are included.
Behaviour Modification Research Project Occupational Therapy Involvement
Authors: Drouet Vera M.
Published: April 2015

Behaviour Modification, in theory, may appear to be a straight forward method of enabling patients to improve those standards of behaviour which are unacceptable to others and in reality to themselves. In practice this requires a great deal of multi-disciplinary effort. The author describes a three-year project comparing the relative effectiveness of the reinforcement of desired behaviour by token economy and by social reinforcement.
A Pattern of Supervision for Community Occupational Therapists
Authors: Ibbotson Jayne
Published: April 2015

This article looks at the advantage of using the social worker's pattern of supervision for occupational therapists working in the community, though it might be applicable to those in hospital also. The scheme as outlined is but one possible approach and many of the details can be adjusted to suit local conditions. It is a beginning only; such a technique will inevitably develop with experience.