bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Use of DVD Simulation as an Interprofessional Education Tool with Undergraduate Occupational Therapy Students
Authors: Brown Ted , Williams Brett 
Published: April 2015

Health care professionals, including occupational therapists, are required to work collaboratively with other disciplines in order to provide high-quality care to their clients. As such, it is paramount that health care professional students learn about the professional roles of others and teamwork through interprofessional education (IPE). However, students are often educated in isolation from other disciplines and difficulties with clinically-based IPE have been acknowledged. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate occupational therapy students' perceptions of the use of digital video disc (DVD) simulations as a learning tool for IPE and practice placement education. Eleven DVD simulations were developed by Monash University and a team of health care professionals. Students from the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy programme at Monash University viewed two or more simulations, and their perceptions were elicited using a mixed methodology approach consisting of a self-report questionnaire (n = 19) and three focus groups. Overall, the DVD simulations were perceived positively as a useful tool for IPE, to supplement practice placement education by occupational therapy students. Although the students did not feel that the simulations could replace actual practice placements, the cost benefit of using DVD simulations to teach, promote and facilitate IPE should be further investigated.
Occupational Therapy and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: Comparable Research Companions?
Authors: Cronin-Davis Jane , Butler Alan , Mayers Christine A 
Published: April 2015

Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) is a research method gaining in popularity, particularly in health psychology and related fields. Derived from phenomenology, as the name suggests, it has potential for occupational therapy as an underpinning framework for research. This method was developed to enable researchers to provide participants with the opportunity to describe their perceptions of their lived experiences, which are subsequently interpreted by the researcher. A two-stage data process allows participants to make sense of their own world while the researcher attempts to make sense of participants' lived experiences. IPA acknowledges that researchers cannot gain complete access to the participant's world and that each participant is an expert in his or her field. However, it does recognise that the researcher's analysis of this world is a dynamic and interpretative process. During the research analysis process, themes are identified and connected and followed by higher-order interpretation. Data can be collected using a variety of methods, including interviews, case studies and focus groups. This paper describes the potential of IPA as an appropriate and worthy methodology for occupational therapists and, therefore, an important adjunct to the occupational therapy evidence base.
Occupational Therapy Students' Consideration of Clients' Spirituality in Practice Placement Education
Authors: Csontó Sylvia 
Published: April 2015

Spirituality in occupational therapy has become more prominent through research and discussion over the last decade. This study aimed to examine further the topic of occupational therapists' inclusion of spirituality in their practice through exploring the experiences of occupational therapy students. The study investigated students' consideration and understanding of spirituality in practice after undertaking all their degree course placements. A simplified grounded theory approach was used. Semi-structured interviews with six occupational therapy students explored their experiences and opinions regarding spirituality. A qualitative data analysis of the transcripts, using the Atlas.ti package, was the basis on which the findings were grounded. The findings showed that it was the participants' opinions that spirituality was not covered well during their occupational therapy education. Other barriers to considering spirituality included the lack of a clear definition, omission from assessment forms and the perceptions of other staff. The participants' narratives indicated that they did not overtly focus on or consider spirituality during their practice placement education. However, all the participants discussed spirituality, in varying ways, with some of their clients. The findings from this study imply the need for specific education on recognising and addressing spirituality for students of occupational therapy.
Driving with homonymous visual field loss: Does visual search performance predict hazard detection?
Authors: Smith Matthew , Mole Callum D , Kountouriotis Georgios K , Chisholm Catharine , Bhakta Bipin , Wilkie Richard M 
Published: April 2015

Introduction Stroke often causes homonymous visual field loss, which can lead to exclusion from driving. Retention of a driving licence is sometimes possible by completing an on-road assessment, but this is not practical for all. It is important to find simple tests that can inform the assessment and rehabilitation of driving-related visual-motor function. Method We developed novel computerised assessments: visual search; simple reaction and decision reaction to appearing pedestrians; and pedestrian detection during simulated driving. We tested 12 patients with stroke (seven left, five right field loss) and 12 controls. Results The homonymous visual field defect group was split into adequately compensated or inadequately compensated groups based on visual search performance. The inadequately compensated group had problems with stimuli in their affected field: they tended to react more slowly than controls and in the driving task they failed to detect a number of pedestrians. In contrast, the adequately compensated group were better at detecting pedestrians, though reaction times were slightly slower than controls. Conclusion We suggest that our search task can predict, to a limited extent, whether a person with stroke compensates for visual field loss, and may potentially identify suitability for specific rehabilitation to promote return to driving.
The Study of Occupational Therapy Teaching Resources in the United Kingdom
Authors: Stewart Averil M. 
Published: April 2015

This paper was presented at a Conference on December 17th by the C.P. S.M's. Educational Development Officer, Mrs. Averil M. Siewert. Participants discussed her report on the study of occupational therapy teaching resources and also heard views from representatives of the College of Occupational Therapists, the Council of Heads of Training Schools, Clinical Supervisors and the Tutors' Group. These views will be reported in a future issue. The report is available from the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine, price £2.40.
The Potential for Horticulture in Occupational Therapy a Horticulturist's Viewpoint
Authors: Thoday Peter 
Published: April 2015

This article originates from a contribution made to the inaugural meeting of the College of Occupational Therapists Special Interest Group of Remedial Gardening. It was entitled “A Horticulturist's Eye View of Occupational Therapy”. Having been given such a provocative title the worried speaker's opening remarks sought to remove any hostility the audience may have felt. In print it is perhaps sufficient to say that while remaining totally ignorant of the professional skills of Occupational Therapy, I nevertheless believe I understand its medical and social role, and the philosophy upon which it is based. Indeed I would venture to predict considerably increased social need for Occupational Therapy in the development of our post industrial society.
Community Living Skills Training
Authors: Durham Tessa M. 
Published: April 2015

The Community Living Skills Course described in this paper was established as a means of broadening the scope of the rehabilitation programme offered to pre-discharge psychiatric patients, with the aim of more adequately preparing them for life outside hospital. The course sought to teach specific practical skills and to provide information about community services and resources. After the course had been in operation for two years, an attempt was made to validate the content of the course by evaluating its relevance to patients already living in the community. Accordingly, structured interviews of 26 day care patients were conducted. The data obtained was used to modify and improve the existing course so that it would better meet patients needs. At the same time, an initial assessment of the training needs of long-term patients living in the community was made, and a need for continuing support and assistance with practical problems emerged.
An Approach to Improving Handwriting by Motor and Tactile Methods
Authors: Newman Jill 
Published: April 2015

The Learning Difficulties Clinic at St. Thomas' Hospital comprises the Physician in Charge, Remedial Teacher, Occupational Therapist, Speech Therapist, Secretary/Receptionist, and sometimes Eurhythmy Therapist. Children (and occasionally adults) are normally referred by medical, educational and parental sources. The Occupational Therapist assesses the individual's manual dexterity, hand/eye coordination and a sample of handwriting (dictated). The Graham & Kendal “Memory for Design” test and “Visual Sequential Memory” subtest from the Illinois Test for Psycholinguistic Abilities are also administered by the Occupational Therapist, but these could also be carried out by any other team member since they are not a definitive Occupational Therapy speciality. When each member of the team has assessed the individual, they meet for a case conference when assessment results are discussed and recommendations are made. At this stage, the individual is referred for Occupational Therapy sessions if handwriting is poor, usually due to neuro-motor or perceptual difficulties. A programme of pre-writing and writing exercises was devised in an attempt to improve the quality of handwriting in a small group of school children. The results suggest that there was significant improvement in mechanical handwriting ability as a result of therapy.
‘The Wrist Joint’ in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Agnew Patricia J. 
Published: April 2015

Hand function is dependent upon the stability of the wrist joint1. The wrist joint is thus a key joint of the upper limb, and must be pain-free for normal hand function and adequate strength of grip2. Wrist involvement is frequently characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis, with tenosinovitis of the wrist extensor tendons evident in the early stages of the disease3. Severe hand deformities with ulnar deviation of the metacarpo-phalangeal joints, subluxation of the carpals and ruptured tendons, are the result of extensive wrist disease. Rheumatoid disease of the wrist and its affect on progressive hand deformity has been the subject of numerous investigations4,5,6,7,8. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on the rheumatoid wrist in view of the current occupational therapy practice of splinting the affected wrists for functional positioning and the prevention of further wrist deterioration.
Legal Aspects of Occupational Therapy: Part 1
Authors: Dimond Bridgit 
Published: April 2015

The legal anxieties and uncertainties arising from their work are increasingly confronting occupational therapists. It is vital that they are aware of the legal implications. These three articles explore the main spheres of legal liability and professional accountability which arise. The first article analyses the main provisions of the criminal law and the civil law. The types of offence with which an occupational therapist could be prosecuted are discussed together with a brief outline of the criminal law procedures. Similarly, the occupational therapist's liability before the civil courts is examined and the main elements, which anyone suing him or her would have to prove, are considered. The basis for the calculation of compensation is also examined.
Evaluation of the Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation (including the Functional Independence Measure) by Glenrothes Geriatric Day Hospital Team
Authors: Peter Arthur 
Published: April 2015

The need for a patient data collecting system was identified by the geriatric day hospital team in Glenrothes. The Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation (Including the Functional Independence Measure) was selected for this purpose. Its operational acceptability was assessed after using it to collect data on a series of 50 patients. This was done via a questionnaire completed jointly by the team after each patient data sheet had been completed. The team — including an occupational therapist, a physiotherapist, a charge nurse and a doctor — was satisfied overall with the Uniform Data System and the data collected. It identified several operational problems, but these could be overcome through further training, greater familiarity with the system and more appropriate operational definitions. The results of this study should assist the day hospital team to proceed systematically in selecting a suitable patient data system for day hospital use. The results could also be of interest to other community and hospital care of the elderly staff who are considering the implementation of a patient data collecting system.
Developmental Patterns in Zimbabwean Children with HIV+ Serology: A Guide to Planning a Service Delivery Model
Authors: Kelly Linda 
Published: April 2015

The sequelae of AIDS are presenting a worldwide challenge, both in numbers and in the presentation of symptoms, and more children are being affected. Seventy-five children ranging from one month to 4 years were assessed on the Gesell Developmental Schedules in a paediatric clinic for follow-up of children with HIV+ serology in Zimbabwe. When children are deficient in their developmental milestones, it is of concern to their parents. Therapists are involved in the stimulation, adaptation and remediation of the deficits and problems encountered. Combining the parents' concerns with the child's needs can be a challenge with children who, in the long run, will face death. Four patterns emerged which required different levels of intervention. The levels may be described in a graded sequence that increases with disability, beginning with no developmental delay, then increasing from mild to moderate to severe developmental delays. Handicapping conditions vary within this framework. Within the severe category, there are children who have a range of neurological deficits, including dystonia, hypotonia and tongue thrust. Intervention requires strategies that use a variety of techniques, dependent on the presentation of symptoms. The level of illness in the parents must also be taken into account because they too may need intervention. Intervention strategies are outlined according to the pattern of delay.
The Needs of Physically Disabled People Aged 16–65 Years and Service Usage in Grampian
Authors: Sutherland Anne , Chesson Rosemary 
Published: April 2015

The work reported here forms part of a two-phase investigation of disability sponsored by Grampian Regional Council Social Work Committee. Following a questionnaire survey of about one in 40 of the region's households, 212 people with physical disabilities aged 16–65 were interviewed during 1989/90 to obtain an in-depth understanding of their perceptions of current and past service provision. Two-thirds of all those interviewed required some help with self-care across a wide range of activities. Sixty-six (31%) interviewees were found to use 150 items to help with self-care and a further 45 (21%) indicated that they would like equipment. Forty-one per cent of all self-care aids had been self-purchased. Minimal service use was discovered, the most common being dentistry and chiropody. Despite the level of disability, only seven respondents currently had a home help and 10 were in receipt of community occupational therapy. Very low involvement in voluntary organisations was found. Less than half of interviewees (45%) reported ‘going out’ every day and sedentary leisure activities were more common than visits to clubs or friends. The main reason given for non-participation in other leisure activities was physical difficulty. Only 13 people took part in social activities organised either wholly or partly for people with physical disabilities. In general, those interviewed sought better opportunities for integration into the life of their community. Two case studies are presented in an appendix, which illustrate the multifaceted nature of interviewees' problems and the nature and extent of formal and informal care within two survey households.
Issues in Contracting Occupational Therapy Services
Authors: Øvretveit John 
Published: April 2015

Although most occupational therapy managers have now mastered the basics of contracting, it is important that their junior staff understand the issues. This article summarises issues in contracting, and also shows how occupational therapists can retain their own management structures by contracting services rather than being managed by directorates or localities. It explains why contracting to becoming more Important for occupational therapy, gives an introduction to the concepts underlying contracts, and shows how managers can prepare and negotiate contracts with internal purchasers (for example, directorates) and external purchasers (for example, general practitioners). This article to adapted with permission from: Øvretveit J. Physiotherapy service contracts and ‘business autonomy’. Physiotherapy 1994; 80(6): 372–376.
Rehabilitation and Special Education: Measuring Outcomes in Mentally Retarded Children in India
Authors: Sutcliffe Pip 
Published: April 2015

A method of measuring and recording change in scored performance (the outcome) is described, based on the Individual Education Programmes of mentally retarded children over time. This method is being piloted at the Tropical Health Foundation of India with children whose handicaps are in the mild to severe categories. (The pilot excludes children with profound handicap.) This article is adapted from a paper published in ACTIONAID Disability News 1995, Volume 6, Number 1, by kind permission of ACTIONAID, Bangalore, India.
Assessment for the Prescription of Wheelchairs: What Training is Available to Therapists?
Authors: Silcox Lesley 
Published: April 2015

The aim of this study was to discover the amount of time spent on and some of the content of the training presently available to therapists, both in colleges and from the wheelchair service. The method was a postal questionnaire, which was sent to all colleges of occupational therapy and physiotherapy and to a geographically selected sample of centres in the wheelchair service. The results indicated that the mean number of hours of training was statistically significantly higher for colleges of occupational therapy compared with colleges of physiotherapy (OT mean=26.19 hours: PT mean=9.66 hours, t=2.52, df=21, p=0.02) and for colleges of occupational therapy compared with the wheelchair service (OT mean=26.19 hours: WS mean=9.41 hours, t=-2.58, df=20, p=0.02). No statistically significant difference was observed between colleges of physiotherapy and the wheelchair service. The results indicated that the situation has improved slightly since the McColl Report in 1986, which recommended changes within the wheelchair service.
In Search of a Theoretical Framework for Practice, Part 1
Authors: Jenkins Mary , Brotherton Chris 
Published: April 2015

In this work, the position is taken that practice is a knowledge-rich domain where knowledge use and knowledge creation intertwine. This article presents a learning-in-practice model of occupational therapy which anchors occupational therapy theory within the reality of occupational therapy practice, identifying theory and practice as one entity. The model takes issue with the theory/practice paradigm of practical professions and suggests that, in occupational therapy, the real world situation of practice and clients' life-world contexts are the most fitting frames of reference for practitioners. The model, arising from the thesis ‘Occupational therapy: perspectives on the effectiveness of practice’ (Jenkins, 1994), implies that professional effectiveness is not dependent only on the concept of reflection in and on action as espoused by Schön (1987) but, in effect, hinges on a ‘community of practice’ wherein learning is situated, ongoing and continuous and occurs In action, in discussion and In periods of personal reflection, purposively and Incidentally. Part 1 Introduces the work and describes Lave's and Wenger's Situated Learning Perspective, from which this practice model is derived; the model's four basic constituents – community, context, access and language – are presented. Part 2 will identify these in the occupational therapy setting and will forward the notion that the model is the kernel of democratic professionalism.
Occupational Therapy: A Critical Overview, Part 1
Authors: Mocellin George 
Published: April 2015

This article provides an overview of occupational therapy by analysing those philosophical aspects that are generally held in high regard by the profession. It attempts to demonstrate that current professional beliefs and related models of practice may be flawed and may have a far greater negative Influence on the profession than is generally acknowledged. Part 1 challenges some of the core philosophical ideas of occupational therapy, in particular concepts related to health through occupation, the meaning of occupation, purposeful activity and occupational dysfunction.
A Comparative Study of the Effectiveness of a Preoperative Education Programme for Total Hip Replacement Patients
Authors: Spalding Nicola J 
Published: April 2015

This study examined some effects of providing preoperative education to patients prior to their hospital admission for a total hip replacement. The preoperative education programmes are organised and presented by an occupational therapist with the assistance of a physiotherapist, an anaesthetist, an orthopaedic nurse and a dietician. The content includes information on preparation for surgery, what to expect of admission, surgery and rehabilitation, and how to prepare for discharge. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare a group of patients who had attended an education programme with, as control, a group of patients who had not. The variables Investigated were length of hospitalisation, morphine usage, mobility independence and discharge preparation. The results showed that the patients in the experimental group had a mean of 4 days' less hospitalisation than the control group, required less postoperative morphine and achieved mobility independence sooner. The control patients' lack of knowledge of what to expect from their surgery was evident from the lack of preparation for their discharge home. Large financial savings were then calculated as a direct consequence.