MedWorm: Occupational Therapy

Use of electronic anatomy practical examinations for remediating "at risk" students

Anatomical Sciences Education — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

This article describes a combination of anatomy testing and grading strategies to allow "at risk" (borderline failing) students an opportunity to remediate their lowest set of examination scores and pass their anatomy course. An alternative electronic practical examination for these students provided flexibility in laboratory scheduling, thereby increasing laboratory access for other students taking concurrent courses. Specifically, the electronic examinations allowed for a reduction in the amount of time the cadaver laboratory is locked down for examination purposes. Masters-level occupational therapy (MOT) students, physician assistant students (MPA), and doctoral level physical therapy (DPT) students participated in a prosection-based human cadaver laboratory and take cadaver-based prac...

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Pushing the brain to find new pathways

ScienceDaily Headlines — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0100

Until recently, scientists believed that, following a stroke, a patient had about six months to regain any lost function. After that, patients would be forced to compensate for the lost function by focusing on their remaining abilities. Although this belief has been refuted, an occupational therapy professor believes that the current health system is still not giving patients enough time to recover. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Child physiotherapy program expanded

CBC | Health — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:19:36 +0100

Children older than six who require daily physiotherapy or occupational therapy will soon be able to get it at three P.E.I. schools. (Source: CBC | Health)

MU Occupational Therapy Professor Says Recovery From Brain Injuries Can Last A Lifetime

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

MU Occupational Therapy Professor Says Recovery From Brain Injuries Can Last A Lifetime

Stroke / Neuroprotection News From Medical News Today — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

Scope of practice of occupational therapists working in Victorian community health settings

Australian Occupational Therapy Journal — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Study findings have implications for occupational therapy training, and there is a clear need for input at policy level to address the significant resource allocation issues raised. (Source: Australian Occupational Therapy Journal)

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Pushing the brain to find new pathways

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0100

(University of Missouri-Columbia) Until recently, scientists believed that, following a stroke, a patient had about six months to regain any lost function. After that, patients would be forced to compensate for the lost function by focusing on their remaining abilities. Although this belief has been refuted, a University of Missouri occupational therapy professor believes that the current health system is still not giving patients enough time to recover. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Navigating ethical discharge planning: A case study in older adult rehabilitation

Australian Occupational Therapy Journal — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Dialogue is needed to identify risks, help clients determine their personal level of acceptable risk and determine provisions to minimise risks. (Source: Australian Occupational Therapy Journal)

What Types of Community Services Are Available?

PediatricEducation.org — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:01:16 +0100

Discussion Health care providers often view the patient through the medical lens and may not see the full view of all aspects of patients and families lives. Even many who work in community centered locations may not be aware of the breadth of services wanted and needed by families. Medical and community services are diverse in every location and often change as funding becomes available or dries up. One of the most difficult tasks for a health care provider (and patients and families) is to move to a new location and need to locate and access various services. Health care providers who take care of patients and families from a wide geographical area are at an additional disadvantage as the practitioner often is not aware of the availability or non-availability of local community services...

Physiotherapy Associates at National Workers Compensation and Disability Conference and Expo

Disabled World — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:36:13 +0100

Physiotherapy Associates workers compensation services encompass physical therapy, occupational therapy, functional capacity evaluations, and specialized return-to-work programs such as work conditioning. (Source: Disabled World)

Retirement: What will you do? A narrative inquiry of occupation-based planning for retirement: Implications for practice

Australian Occupational Therapy Journal — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Occupational therapists have a unique understanding of the centrality of occupation to health and wellbeing. Thus occupational therapists are well-positioned to assist people identify, plan and engage in meaningful occupations outside work in retirement. (Source: Australian Occupational Therapy Journal)

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The Wide-Awake Approach to Dupuytren’s Disease: Fasciectomy under Local Anesthetic with Epinephrine

Hand — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:05:14 +0100

Abstract The Wide-Awake Approach to Dupuytren's contracture involves fasciectomy under local anesthetic with epinephrine and no tourniquet. The goal of this study is to show that the Wide-Awake Approach produces equivalent outcomes to fasciectomy under general anesthetic with a tourniquet, with fewer risks to the patient. A multicenter retrospective review was conducted on 111 patients with fasciectomies under local or general anesthetic between 2001 and 2007. Data on patient demographics, comorbidities, cost, as well as range of motion was collected and evaluated using Microsoft Excel and SAS. Of 148 fingers, 102 were treated under local and 46 under general anesthetic. The average postoperative Total Active Motion (TAM) for general anesthetic patients was 199.0 ± 29...

The Association Between Rheumatoid Arthritis Related Structural Changes in Hands and Computer Keyboard Operation

Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:14:13 +0100

Conclusion Severity of structural changes and age are significant predictors of keyboarding style for computer operators with RA. The keyboarding styles used by computer operators with RA appear to reduce typing productivity and have the potential to put stress on joints already affected by RA. Computer operators with RA may benefit from worksite modifications that address keyboarding style such as alternate keyboards. Content Type Journal ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10926-009-9216-xAuthors Nancy A. Baker, University of Pittsburgh Department of Occupational Therapy 5012 Forbes Tower Pittsburgh PA 15260 USANorman P. Gustafson, University of Pittsburgh Department of Occupational Therapy 5012 Forbes Tower Pittsburgh PA 15260 USAJoan Rogers, University of Pittsburgh Department of Occupational ...

Occupational therapy protocol for amputees with targeted muscle reinnervation.

J Rehabil Res Dev — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:34:03 +0100

This article briefly describes the procedure and presents the protocol for postoperative, preprosthetic care. We also recommend a guide to patient training using standard-of-care prosthetic devices controlled by up to four intuitive, independent, and isolated myoelectric signals. We discuss the advantages of this new control paradigm and methods for optimizing clinical outcomes for patients with high-level upper-limb amputations. This material is based on more than 6 years of experience treating patients with TMR in a research setting. Detailed results of this research are reported elsewhere. PMID: 19882483 [PubMed - in process] (Source: J Rehabil Res Dev)

Functional and work outcomes improve in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who receive targeted, comprehensive occupational therapy

Arthritis Care and Research — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Work disability is a serious consequence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We conducted a 6-month, prospective randomized controlled trial comparing assessments of function, work, coping, and disease activity in employed patients with RA receiving occupational therapy intervention versus usual care.Employed patients with RA with increased perceived work disability risk were identified by the RA Work Instability Scale (WIS; score [ge]10). Patients were stratified into medium- (score [ge]10 and (Source: Arthritis Care and Research)

Does God Have a Place in Psychiatric Treatment Plans?

Psychology Today Anxiety Center — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:54:14 +0100

In 1992, my father drove (more like sped) me to the emergency of Lion's Gate Hospital. I was floridly psychotic. I ran from one end of the parkade to the other, shouting ‘I am one with God'. Neither of us knew what was happening. My dad describes it as one of the most terrifying experiences of his life, for me one of the most devastating yet liberating. My diagnosis: rapid-cycling, mixed stated bipolar disorder with mild temporal lobe epilepsy and generalized anxiety disorder. Yeah, say that five times fast! Over the next five years I had four further psychotic episodes, innumerable manias and suicidal depressions and five visits to the psych ward. I feel lucky, for the most part I had incredible health care providers - from the psychiatrist I saw weekly, to the nurses and orderlies who ...

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A randomized single blind crossover trial comparing leather and commercial wrist splints for treating chronic wrist pain in adults.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Leather wrist splints were superior to a commercially available fabric splint for the short-term relief of pain and dysfunction.Key words: wrist, splints, ADL, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, occupational therapy (Source: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders)

Community-based intervention to optimise falls risk management: a randomised controlled trial

Age and Ageing — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:04:14 +0100

Conclusions: compared to usual care, a multi-faceted intervention increased referrals to physiotherapy and occupational therapy but did not reduce risk of falls. Similar falls reduction interventions cannot be recommended based on the results of this study. (Source: Age and Ageing)

SCIRehab Project series: the occupational therapy taxonomy. - Ozelie R, Sipple C, Foy T, Cantoni K, Kellogg K, Lookingbill J, Backus D, Gassaway J.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:10:10 +0100

This article describes... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

Multi-component health promotion and disease prevention for community-dwelling frail elderly persons: a systematic review

European Journal of Ageing — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 09:53:10 +0100

The objective was to investigate definitions of frailty used in studies of multi-component health promotion and disease-preventive (HPDP) intervention programmes for community-dwelling frail elderly persons and to review the content, organisation and effects of HPDP interventions. A systematic review of 19 articles was made, and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) was used as a structural framework for the analysis. The result shows that a consensus was reached on including various aspects of impairments in body functions and structures as an integral part of the frailty concept, with the exception of one subgroup: mental/cognitive functions. Additionally, opinions varied quite consistently regarding aspects of activity limitations and partici...

Depression and anxiety are not related to nummular headache

The Journal of Headache and Pain — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 07:28:07 +0100

Abstract Nummular headache (NH) is a clinical picture characterized by head pain that is exclusively felt in a round, elliptical, or oval area of the head. Although there is evidence supporting an organic origin for NH, some authors question this origin, hypothesizing a potential role for psychological factors. Our aims were to investigate the differences in anxiety and depression between NH patients and healthy controls, and to analyse if these conditions were related to pain parameters in NH patients. The Beck depression inventory (BDI-II) and the trait anxiety scale from state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) were administered to 26 patients with NH and 34 comparable matched controls. No significant interactions between group (NH patients, controls) in either depression (...

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Impact of caring for a school-aged child with a disability: Understanding mothers' perspectives

Australian Occupational Therapy Journal — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Many aspects of caregiving can be relentless and challenging. Occupational therapy clinical implications aimed at supporting mothers and their children are discussed. (Source: Australian Occupational Therapy Journal)

Recruitment and retention issues for occupational therapists in mental health: Balancing the pull and the push

Australian Occupational Therapy Journal — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The results supported the development of a 'push and pull' conceptualisation of recruitment and retention issues, including job-related (intrinsic) and non-job-related (extrinsic) issues. This conceptualisation allows organisations to closely examine factors that attract practitioners to positions and those that support or damage staff tenure. (Source: Australian Occupational Therapy Journal)

Restorative Physical and Occupational Therapy: A Critical Need for Patients With Chronic Kidney and End-Stage Renal Disease

Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:03:26 +0100

Patients with CKD and ESRD present with many health problems, which may lead to increased mortality and dysfunction. Numerous comorbidities may contribute toward physical, emotional, and social problems and a decreased quality of life. Difficulty ambulating, balance deficits, joint pain and stiffness, muscle spasm and weakness, fatigue, neuropathy, and difficulty with activities of daily living (ADLs) may contribute to a decrease in functional independence. Physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) aim to restore physical functioning, facilitate independence in ADLs, and promote functional independence by using various therapeutic procedures. PT and OT are the usual services of choice to address impaired function associated with acute and chronic pathology. The purpose of this ar...

WHEDA study: Effectiveness of occupational therapy at home for older people with dementia and their caregivers - the design of a pragmatic randomised controlled trial evaluating a Dutch programme in seven German centres

BMC Geriatrics — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

DiscussionThe transfer from the Dutch mono-centre design to the pragmatic multi-site trial in a German context implicates several changes in design issues including differences in recruitment time, training of interventionists and active control group treatment.The study is registered under DRKS00000053 at the German register of clinical trials, which is connected to the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. (Source: BMC Geriatrics)

Lessons in living and dying from my first patient: an autoethnography.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

This study examines the challenges and rewards of a fieldwork student's first encounter with death in a clinical setting and describes occupational interventions that affirm the life of a client preparing for death. PURPOSE: To explore meanings, challenges, and lessons of end-of-life care for an occupational therapy fieldwork student. METHODS: A qualitative format, autoethnography, was used to develop a narrative that reveals the lived experience of a fieldwork student. FINDINGS. Findings include a description of what a fieldwork student was and was not able to accomplish in end-of-life care. The paper describes using self-care activities to normalize and cede control of end-of-life care to the client and developing a vision of how to help clients find closure. IMPLICATIONS: The study carr...

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Paediatric occupational therapists' reflections on meaning in professional practice: a phenomenological study.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Smith KT, Kinsella EA BACKGROUND: The construct of meaning plays an important role in the theories and models that inform occupational therapy; yet little research has examined the construct of meaning within the professional practices of occupational therapists. PURPOSE: The purpose of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of the meanings occupational therapists identify within their professional practice occupations. METHODS: A phenomenological methodology was adopted for this study. Eight paediatric occupational therapists participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews, which were tape-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. FINDINGS: Seven major themes were identified: Relating to clients as human beings, making a positive difference, working as a team, permis...

Uses of the National Rehabilitation Reporting System: perspectives of geriatric rehabilitation clinicians.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Wells JL, Egan M, Byrne K, Jaglal S, Dumbrell AC, Stolee P BACKGROUND: The National Rehabilitation Reporting System (NRS) is a minimum data set for inpatient rehabilitation units. The system was designed to support administrative decision making from the facility to the national level. PURPOSE: To conduct a pilot study to explore current and potential clinician uses of NRS data, particularly for hip-fractured clients. METHODS: Focus groups with rehabilitation teams from two urban academic geriatric rehabilitation units in Ontario. FINDINGS: Few current uses were identified; barriers to use included timeliness of data reports and perceived lack of sensitivity to clinically significant changes in functional status. Strategies for resolving these barriers were identified, includi...

The impact of everyday racism on the occupations of African Canadian women.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

This study with 50 African Canadian women used mixed methods to explore the effects of racism on their occupational experiences. METHODS: Women aged 40-65 were interviewed in-depth about everyday experiences with racism and overall well-being. Three standardized instruments assessed frequency and stressfulness of race-related experiences. FINDINGS: Everyday racism had subtle, almost intangible, impacts, shaping women's engagement with and the meaning of leisure, productive, and caring occupations. IMPLICATIONS: As occupational therapy increasingly attends to issues of cultural difference, it is critical to also attend to racism. This means learning to ask thoughtful questions about how racism may shape clients' occupations. Attention to this aspect of the social environment will enhance pr...

Evaluating work readiness following acquired brain injury: building a shared understanding.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

This study explored how occupational therapists evaluate work readiness following acquired brain injury in order to develop an integrated model of the factors, processes, stakeholders, and contextual elements relevant to this evaluation. METHODS: Ten occupational therapists with expertise in vocational and brain injury rehabilitation were interviewed. Data were analyzed using grounded theory methods to develop the work readiness evaluation model. FINDINGS: This model describes five processes formative to therapists' evaluation: (1) drawing upon diverse sources of information and perspectives; (2) assessing occupational capacity; (3) contextualizing occupational potential; (4) building a shared understanding of work readiness among stakeholders, including, clients, employers, insurers, and ...

Barriers and facilitators to participation in work among Canadian women living with HIV/AIDS.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Barkey V, Watanabe E, Solomon P, Wilkins S BACKGROUND: The impact of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) on the participation of women in paid/unpaid work is a little understood phenomenon. PURPOSE: A research study exploring the lived experiences of Canadian women's engagement in paid/unpaid work and the barriers and facilitators mediating this phenomenon. METHOD: Study design employed a phenomenological approach using data subanalysis of transcripts, double coded for agreement and to ensure saturation of themes. RESULTS: Analysis of the data revealed an overarching theme of engagement mediated by interacting forces with eight subthemes: active management, agency constrained by structure, the nature of supports, HIV/AIDS sequelae, work a...

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Occupational therapy: a thread that weaves a lifetime.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Korner-Bitensky N PMID: 19891295 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Enabling scientific writing: recent strategies implemented through CJOT.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Finlayson M PMID: 19891294 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Excellence in regional stroke care: an evaluation of the implementation of a stroke care unit in regional Australia.

The Australian Journal of Rural Health — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: Our evaluation demonstrated that introduction of formalised stroke care to a regional hospital resulted in improved compliance with key performance indicators and better patient outcomes. Thus evidence-based specialised stroke care can be offered with confidence in regional populations. PMID: 19785681 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The Australian Journal of Rural Health)

Observation of Amounts of Movement Practice Provided During Stroke Rehabilitation

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The amount of practice provided during poststroke rehabilitation is small compared with animal models. It is possible that current doses of task-specific practice during rehabilitation are not adequate to drive the neural reorganization needed to promote function poststroke optimally. (Source: Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation)

Poster 62: Black-White Disparities in Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation: Associations between Physical and Occupational Therapy Interventions with Outcomes

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: After controlling for patient and treatment factors, we identified no significant association between race and discharge functional outcomes. Interventions provided within activities previously found to be associated with better outcomes, were in most cases also associated with higher discharge scores. However, we identified interventions within activities that were associated with worse outcomes even though those activities were found previously to be associated with better outcomes. (Source: Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation)

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Poster 66: Comparing Skill Acquisition Using a Cognitive-Based Treatment Approach to Contemporary Occupational Therapy in Stroke: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Preliminary analysis indicates larger improvements in skill performance in the CO-OP group compared to the COT group, as rated by both therapists and participants. Study limitations include non-blinding and small sample size, but the results are promising, warranting a larger-scale investigation. (Source: Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation)

Poster 91: Social Interaction as a Focus in Community Programming

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: It appears when intervention in a natural context is guided by an assessment focused on social interaction occupational therapy can positively influence social skill performance in occupations that are meaningful and relevant for the client. (Source: Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation)

Making decisions about service delivery in early childhood programs.

Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: To establish fluid service delivery models, therapists need to (a) plan collaboratively with teachers so that the model selected meets the teacher's preferences, (b) design flexible scheduling systems that emphasize inclusive practice, and (c) maintain precise documentation about when and how services are provided. PMID: 19801403 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools)

Post-stroke fatigue: qualitative study of three focus groups

Occupational Therapy International — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Fatigue affects many persons after cerebrovascular accident, particularly those with mild stroke. A qualitative methodology using focus groups with 19 community-living post-stroke survivors was utilized to explore the occupational impact of fatigue as communicated by the participants. Although self-report of a small sample of the United States' post-stroke population will have limitations in generalizability, this study identifies specific health-related quality of life issues that can occur with post-stroke fatigue. The participants felt unprepared for the fatigue phenomenon and struggled to adapt, with fatigue having a debilitating influence upon daily occupational performance and roles, including social participation, return to work, driving, reading and sleeping. The participants indic...

Occupational Therapy Home Programs for Cerebral Palsy: Double-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial

PEDIATRICS — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: Pediatricians can advise families that OTHPs developed with a collaborative, evidence-based approach and implemented by parents at home were clinically effective if implemented 17.5 times per month for an average of 16.5 minutes per session. (Source: PEDIATRICS)

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Prospective Payment System 2008 Home Health Therapy Utilization Trends

Home Health Care Management — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The focus of this article is to identify therapy trends in prediction and utilization since the 2008 Home Health Prospective Payment System changes were implemented on January 1, 2008. The interdisciplinary attention is on the utilization of therapy services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech language pathology, in the home health setting, specific to beneficiaries using the Medicare Part A benefit. (Source: Home Health Care Management)

Excellence in regional stroke care: An evaluation of the implementation of a stroke care unit in regional Australia

Australian Journal of Rural Health — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Our evaluation demonstrated that introduction of formalised stroke care to a regional hospital resulted in improved compliance with key performance indicators and better patient outcomes. Thus evidence-based specialised stroke care can be offered with confidence in regional populations. (Source: Australian Journal of Rural Health)

PhD Bursary opportunity: Social Enterprise/ Allied Health professionals

NHS Networks — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:38:19 +0100

The University of Northampton have an opening for a PhD Bursary. The role will be to establish if allied health professional services, in particular occupational therapy, can be provided through social enterprises Applications are invited for a three year full-time PhD bursary studying the role of social enterprises in providing allied health professional services, in particular occupational therapy. The proposed project will study current and planned social enterprise schemes aimed at delivering allied health professional services, in particular occupational therapy. The project has five objectives, as follows: To identify and critically review policy, theoretical and research literature concerning the use of social enterprise to deliver health and social care servi...

Increasing the occupational therapy mental health workforce through innovative practice education: A pilot project

Australian Occupational Therapy Journal — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Though limited by its small sample size, this pilot trial has demonstrated the potential of innovative placement models to provide valuable student learning experiences in mental health. The profession needs to develop expertise in the use of innovative placement models if students are to be adequately prepared to work with the mental health issues of the Australian community now and in the future. (Source: Australian Occupational Therapy Journal)

Clock drawing from the occupational therapy adult perceptual screening test: Its correlation with demographic and clinical factors in the stroke population

Australian Occupational Therapy Journal — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The Clock Drawing Test may be a useful and quick screen of cognitive impairments following stroke. Age-related decline must be considered and it is essential that clinicians use this only as a strategy to determine whether a more comprehensive assessment is required. (Source: Australian Occupational Therapy Journal)

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An evaluation of the construct validity of the Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration using the Rasch Measurement Model

Australian Occupational Therapy Journal — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Theoretically, the VMI items are developmentally ordered; however, this ordering was not mirrored by the item logit difficulty scores obtained. This has scoring implications, where scoring a respondent's VMI test booklet is terminated after three consecutive items are not passed. Clinicians should also be aware that item 9 may exhibit bias related to gender. (Source: Australian Occupational Therapy Journal)

The structure of novice and expert occupational therapists' clinical reasoning before and after exposure to a domain-specific protocol

Australian Occupational Therapy Journal — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: A protocol designed for guiding clinical reasoning in the context of upper limb hypertonia was perceived to be conceptually useful by novice and expert occupational therapists. (Source: Australian Occupational Therapy Journal)

The physical environment as a fall risk factor in older adults: Systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional and cohort studies

Australian Occupational Therapy Journal — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Home hazards appear to be a significant risk factor in older community-dwelling adults, although they may present the greatest risk for persons who fall repeatedly. Future research should examine relationships between mobility impairments, use of mobility aids and falls. (Source: Australian Occupational Therapy Journal)

Routine administration of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure: Effect on functional outcome

Australian Occupational Therapy Journal — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Results are significant for the field of routine outcome measurement, suggesting that when adding the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure to routine assessment within an inpatient rehabilitation setting, substantially improved Functional Independence Measure[trade] score outcomes should not be expected. The value of routine outcome measurement on client outcomes remains largely unexplored. Routinely, using outcome measures requires additional research to determine the specific benefits to our programs and client outcomes. (Source: Australian Occupational Therapy Journal)

Collaborative Model of Clinical Education in Physical and Occupational Therapy at the Mayo Clinic

Journal of Allied Health — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:24:13 +0100

(Source: Journal of Allied Health)

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Do Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy Curricula Teach Critical Thinking Skills?

Journal of Allied Health — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:24:13 +0100

(Source: Journal of Allied Health)

Assessment of the upper limb in acute stroke: The validity of hierarchal scoring for the Motor Assessment Scale

Australian Occupational Therapy Journal — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The hierarchal scoring is not supported for subsets 7 and 8 and future research is required to explore the validity of alternate scoring methods. At present, the authors recommend that the UL-MAS should be scored non-hierarchally, meaning that every item within the subsets should be scored regardless of its place within the hierarchy (UL-MAS-NH). (Source: Australian Occupational Therapy Journal)

Knowledge production in speech therapy on augmentative and alternative communication: survey on journals

Revista CEFAC — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 17:38:14 +0100

CONCLUSION: as AAC is a resource used in other academic fields, such data is not sufficient to conclude about knowledge production in AAC in general. Thus, in order to have a more complete overview in this field, the analysis of other academic fields is required, such as Pedagogy, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Psychology, among others. (Source: Revista CEFAC)

Parent-selected interventions for infants at-risk for autism spectrum disorders and their affected siblings

Behavioral Interventions — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Infants with older siblings having Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are at genetically increased risk for showing characteristics of ASD in the first 2 years of life. Parents, who already have at least one child with ASD, may closely monitor their later born children and implement interventions as soon as the children begin to show what the parents believe is aberrant behavior or development that may be early stages of ASD. To date, no study has examined the number and types of services and interventions these parents access for their at-risk infants. Using a Service and Intervention Questionnaire developed for this study, we interviewed 23 parents involved in a larger prospective study of genetically at-risk infants who reported developmental and/or behavior problems in their at-risk infan...

Surgical Management of Spasticity in Persons with Cerebral Palsy

PM&R — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Cerebral palsy is a disorder that primarily affects the neurologic system but secondarily affects the musculoskeletal system through the effects of spasticity, dystonia, and other movement disorders. The treatment of cerebral palsy requires a multidisciplinary approach with treatment aimed at modulating the movement disorder through oral medication, injectable drugs (phenol, botulinum toxin), and physical and occupational therapy. Treatment of the neurologic effects of the central movement disorders include selective dorsal rhizotomy, intrathecal baclofen pump placement, and potentially deep brain stimulation. Although any effect on tone is temporary, orthopedic surgery has an important role in the treatment of the musculoskeletal deformities and contractures present in the child with cere...

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Generational cohort theory: have we overlooked an important aspect of the entry-level occupational therapy doctorate debate?

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Fisher TF, Crabtree JL PMID: 19785266 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Occupational therapy for service members with mild traumatic brain injury.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Radomski MV, Davidson L, Voydetich D, Erickson MW More occupational therapists are needed to provide client-centered, evidence-based rehabilitation to the large numbers of service members who sustained mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) while deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Proponency for Rehabilitation and Reintegration tasked a team of occupational and physical therapists to assemble evidence-based best practices specific to mTBI. Despite the fact that evidence-based reviews, guidelines, and research regarding occupational therapy for mTBI are sparse, the team developed the Clinical Practice Guidance: Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Occupational therapy practice recommendations specific to client education, vision, cognition, ...

Showering habits: time, steps, and products used after brain injury.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: Results suggest that people with BI have showering habits that differ from those WBI. Correlations, regardless of group, showed that older people showered longer, and people with more education used more showering products. PMID: 19785264 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Executive functioning, awareness, and participation in daily life after mild traumatic brain injury: a preliminary study.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: After mTBI, people may be at significant risk for persistent executive deficits and restrictions in participation that warrant occupational therapy intervention. PMID: 19785263 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Pilot study on activities of daily living limitations in adults with hemianopsia.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: People with hemianopsia experience limitations in specific ADLs as a direct result of the disruption of the visual field. Further investigation is needed to confirm these findings and explore interventions to improve ADL performance. PMID: 19785262 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

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Changing face of stroke: implications for occupational therapy practice.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Wolf TJ, Baum C, Conner LT Stroke is one of the most life-altering syndromes affecting the world population. Rehabilitation for people experiencing stroke is focused almost exclusively on self-care activities and being able to return home and has little to no focus on work rehabilitation or community reintegration. The Cognitive Rehabilitation Research Group (CRRG) at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis was formed with the vision of improving everyday life for people after stroke by translating knowledge from neuroscience into treatment programs for productive living. Descriptive analysis of the intake assessment from the CRRG Clinical Core (N = 7,740) revealed three important findings: The age at stroke is decreasing, most strokes are neurologically mild...

Reengagement in meaningful occupations during the transition from hospital to home for people with acquired brain injury and their family caregivers.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: Clinical practice implications relate to client-centered goal setting, contexts and environments in which therapy occurs, and provision of information to patients and families. PMID: 19785260 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Measuring stroke survivors' functional status independence: five perspectives.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Shih MM, Rogers JC, Skidmore ER, Irrgang JJ, Holm MB An understandable measure to describe disabilities after stroke is important for clinical practice; practitioners often use multiple measures that contain different scoring systems and scales to rate activities of daily living (ADL) independence. We compared the construct of independence in five measures used with stroke survivors. The measures evaluated independence of the stroke survivors somewhat differently. The Rasch analysis Partial Credit Model converted items from these measures to a single metric, yielding an item difficulty hierarchy of all items from the measures. Data from the measures should be interpreted carefully because other concepts or constructs in addition to ADL independence are included in some of the ...

Kettle test--a brief measure of cognitive futional performance. Reliability and valdity in stroke rehabilitation.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: The results support the reliability and validity of the Kettle Test as a top-down measure of cognition-in-function in people at discharge from stroke rehabilitation. PMID: 19785258 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Traumatic brain injury and driving assessment: an evidence-based literature review.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS. To assist clinicians and researchers in making decisions regarding testing the driving performance of people with TBI, we provide recommendations for neuropsychological tests; off-road tests; self-report, other report, and postinjury disability status; and comprehensive driving evaluation. PMID: 19785257 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

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Dynamic assessment and prediction of learning potential in clients with unilateral neglect.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: The brief dynamic assessment, developed for this study, provided an opportunity to observe the client's ability to incorporate strategy training and feedback across visual search tasks. This assessment approach has the potential to characterize learning profiles and to guide intervention decisions. PMID: 19785256 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Qualitative exploration of a client-centered, goal-directed approach to community-based occupational therapy for adults with traumatic brain injury.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: Goals provide structure, which facilitates participation in rehabilitation despite the presence of barriers, including reduced motivation and impaired self-awareness. A therapist-facilitated, structured, goal-setting process in which the client, therapist, and significant others work in partnership can enhance the process of goal setting and goal-directed rehabilitation in a community rehabilitation context. PMID: 19785255 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Use of the dynamic interactional model in self-care and motor intervention after traumatic brain injury: explanatory case studies.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: These research findings contribute to our theoretical knowledge in rehabilitation and promote adopting this approach for rehabilitation of adolescents with TBI. PMID: 19785254 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Application of the spacing effect to improve learning and memory for functional tasks in traumatic brain injury: a pilot study.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

In this study, we examined the application of the spacing effect in improving functional tasks. We used a within-subject design and included 10 participants with TBI and 15 HCs. In both the TBI and the HC groups, material learned under the spaced learning condition was recalled better than that learned under massed learning conditions. These results provide initial evidence supporting the use of the spacing effect to improve new learning of functional tasks for people with TBI. PMID: 19785253 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Training multitasking in a virtual supermarket: a novel intervention after stroke.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: The data support the VMall's potential as a motivating and effective intervention tool for the rehabilitation of people poststroke who have multitasking deficits during the performance of daily tasks. However, because the sample was small, additional intervention studies with the VMall should be conducted. PMID: 19785252 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

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Effects of an explicit problem-solving skills training program using a metacomponential approach for outpatients with acquired brain injury.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: The training program was demonstrated to have a significantly greater effect than the conventional training approach on metacomponential functioning and the component of problem representation. However, these benefits were not transferable to real-life situations. PMID: 19785251 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Special issue on brain injury: traumatic brain injury and stroke.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Gutman SA PMID: 19785250 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Project: A cluster randomised controlled trial of an occupational therapy intervention for residents with stroke living in UK care-homes.

HTA Programme - New projects and publications — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:57:19 +0100

Chief Investigator: Professor Catherine Sackley, Professor of Physiotherapy Research, Primary Care Clinical Sciences, University of BirminghamResearch Type: Primary Research (e.g. trial)ICD Chapters: Vascular diseasesKey Areas: Older people, strokeInterventions: OTICD Diseases: StrokeResearch Type: Primary Research (e.g. trial)Expected publication date: Late 2014HTA project ref: 08/14/30 (Source: HTA Programme - New projects and publications)

Occupational therapy students' attitudes towards inclusion education in Australia, United Kingdom, United States and Taiwan

Occupational Therapy International — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

This international, cross-cultural study investigated the attitudes of occupational therapy students from Australia, United Kingdom, United States and Taiwan towards inclusive education for students with disabilities. The possible impact of professional education on students' attitudes was also explored. A total of 485 students from 11 entry-level occupational therapy education programmes from Australia, the United Kingdom, the United Sates and Taiwan participated in the study. Among them, 264 were freshmen (first-year students) and 221 were seniors (final-year students). Data collected from a custom-designed questionnaire were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively.In general, the occupational therapy students reported having positive attitudes towards inclusion. Considerable diff...

Using all the available evidence: perceptions of paediatric occupational therapists about how to increase evidence-based practice

International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions Participants in this study perceived that although it is necessary to use all the available evidence in practice settings, there are currently barriers to using both research-based and practice-based evidence. In particular, the study indicates that there is need for the development of a structured model with processes and standards to guide practitioners in the collection, trial, evaluation and dissemination of practice-generated evidence. Further research is needed to explore the extent to which valid evidence can be generated from individual client programs by examining therapists' strategies for goal attainment in practice settings. (Source: International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare)

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Fall in health visitor numbers is a ‘national scandal’ claim

OnMedica Latest News — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

New registrant numbers fall from 717 to 253 in four years, Nursing Commission toldRelated items from OnMedicaBiological clock predictor could help mothers-to-beScheme to reduce teenage pregnancies a 'failure'Breast screening info lacks detailHalf of trusts turn away expectant mothersGPs should promote occupational therapy & physical activity (Source: OnMedica Latest News)

Identifying indicators of well-being for caregivers of children with disabilities

Occupational Therapy International — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

This study identified key indicators of well-being for caregivers of children with disabilities, Thirty-nine caregivers completed life satisfaction and psychological well-being (WB) measures, and qualitative interviews. Data analysis included descriptive statistics of WB measures and categorical analysis of qualitative data. Data triangulation was achieved by importing theoretically derived codes for initial qualitative coding and quantitizing qualitative categories. Core indicators focused on positive family functioning and a reasonable family lifestyle, caregiver's personal growth and capacity to manage life demands, and the importance of daily balance. Study limitations included no standardized assessments of the child with disabilities' functioning, and the inclusion of caregivers with...

Cost-effectiveness analysis of an occupational therapy-led lifestyle approach and routine general practitioner’s care for panic disorder

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:42:16 +0100

Conclusions If the maximum willingness to pay per additional QALY is £30,000, then there is an 86% chance that a lifestyle intervention may be considered to be value-for-money over 10 months. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original PaperDOI 10.1007/s00127-009-0114-5Authors Rodney A. Lambert, University of East Anglia School of Allied Health Professions Norwich UKPaula Lorgelly, University of Glasgow Section of Public Health and Health Policy Glasgow UKIan Harvey, University of East Anglia School of Medicine, Health Policy and Practice Norwich UKFiona Poland, University of East Anglia School of Allied Health Professions Norwich UK Journal Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric EpidemiologyOnline ISSN 1433-9285Print ISSN 0933-7954 (Source: Social Psychiatry...

Occupational therapists use of cognitive interventions for clients with Alzheimer's disease

Occupational Therapy International — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The aim of this study was to establish a profile of occupational therapy practice for cognitive interventions for clients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in an urban setting. Seventy-four occupational therapists working with older adults with AD in diverse settings in the city of Montreal were randomly selected and were sent a self-administered questionnaire by mail. Sixty-five (87.8%) therapists responded. Findings indicated that 52.3% of occupational therapists are performing cognitive interventions with persons with AD. Of those, 82.4% report using cognitive rehabilitation, 61.8% using cognitive stimulation and 50.0% using cognitive training. Intervention use varied across settings and differed according to severity of AD. The sessions are usually provided individually and often include t...

NHS occupational therapy services: Summary information for 2004 - 05 England

The IC: Outpatients — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 11:40:25 +0100

SummaryThe information in this publication about patient contacts with the NHS Occupational Therapy Services in England is collected on Department of ... (Source: The IC: Outpatients)

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A Study of Occupational Therapy Students' Beliefs and Attitudes Regarding Gerontological Practice.

Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 10:27:58 +0100

Page: 265DOI: 10.1097/TGR.0b013e3181b02debAuthors: Whaley, Mirtha Montejo PhD, MPH, OTRL (Source: Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation)

[Research papers] Pilot randomised controlled trial of occupational therapy to optimise independence in Parkinson's disease: the PD OT trial

Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Randomisation to a trial of OT in PD is feasible. NEADL and PDQ-39 are relevant outcomes and provided data to inform sample size for an adequately powered randomised trial for which there is pressing need. (Source: Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry)

The past, the present, the future conference

MEDEV Events — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:27:54 +0100

The conference will examine the role of education and training as an essential bridge between legislation, policy and practice. This will be done through: * presentations on the key themes of the past, present and future for mental health training and education * workshops concentrating on specific areas and challenges for education and training * discussion groups looking at achievements and challenges * a concluding session to evaluate the conference, draw together key messages and set the scene for the 2010 conference. Aims of the conference The overall aim of this conference is to bring together trainers and educators across the broad field of mental health to: * critically reflect on and take stock of developments in mental health education and training over the past 12 years * ...

Building Blocks for Learning, Occupational Therapy Approaches: practical strategies for the inclusion of special needs in primary school – By Jill Jenkinson, Tessa Hyde and Saffia Ahmad

British Journal of Special Education — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

(Source: British Journal of Special Education)

Undocumented Migrants in Canada: A Scope Literature Review on Health, Access to Services, and Working Conditions

Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:12:51 +0100

Abstract It is estimated that there are 30–40 million undocumented workers worldwide. Although undocumented migration has become an issue of high international relevance, it has been strikingly understudied in Canada, especially with respect to its impact on health. The purpose of this study is to explore the concept of undocumentedness in Canada through a scoping review of peer-reviewed and grey literature written in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish between 2002 and 2008. The specific aims are to: (i) summarize and disseminate current academic and community-based findings on the health, service access and working conditions of undocumented migrants in Canada; (ii) examine the sources and use of evidence; (iii) identify significant gaps in existing knowledge; (iv)...

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3D virtual worlds for health and healthcare

MEDEV News — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

There is a Special Issue of the Journal of Virtual Worlds Research (JVWR) on the theme of '3D Virtual Worlds for Health and Healthcare' is now up and live on the journal's website. Though Second Life has existed since 2002 and there are even other virtual worlds that predate it (see a timeline at http://www.dipity.com/xantherus/Virtual_Worlds/), most in the health sector are only recently starting to migrate to such platforms, as the technology is gradually maturating and rapidly becoming more affordable and popular. This special issue of JVWR on the theme of '3D Virtual Worlds for Health and Healthcare' provides a good sampler of how healthcare organizations, groups and individuals are currently using virtual worlds such as Second Life, OpenSim-based worlds, There and Kanava for a range ...

Indicators of need for occupational therapy in patients with chronic pain: occupational therapists' focus groups

Occupational Therapy International — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

This study explores occupational therapists' (OT) perceptions of indicators for occupational therapy interventions among patients with chronic pain. An exploratory design was applied to six focus groups of OTs (n = 25) for data collection. Analysis was performed using content analysis through identification of meaning units, codes, categories and themes. Limitations of occupational performance was a major theme that included participant restrictions caused by physical, emotional and environmental barriers. Five subthemes of need were identified: 1) pain behaviour that prevented engagement in activities; 2) lack of knowledge about pain mechanisms and strategies to deal with pain; 3) occupational imbalance in work, leisure and home; 4) emotional stress and depression due to pain; and 5) phys...

Characterizing Rehabilitation Services for Patients With Knee and Hip Replacement in Skilled Nursing Facilities and Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Both freestanding SNFs and IRFs provided similar amounts of PT with a similar emphasis on exercise and gait activities. IRFs, however, provided more OT than freestanding SNFs. IRFs had shorter LOSs and more intensive therapy services than freestanding SNFs. Study freestanding SNFs exhibited greater variation in LOS and intensity of therapy than IRFs. (Source: Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation)

Why Have Trustful Parenting and Children’s Freedom Declined in Recent Decades?

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:05:56 +0100

In recent posts I have been discussing the decline of trustful parenting and the rise of directive-protective parenting. Trustful parents are those who trust their children to play and explore on their own, to make their own decisions, and to make and learn from their own mistakes. Trustful parenting predominated through the long stretch of human history when we were all hunter-gatherers, and it served well the hunter-gatherers’ needs for people who were independent, responsible, and assertive, and who maintained an ethos of equality and personal freedom. With agriculture and land ownership, and subsequently with industry, social systems based on equality and freedom succumbed to those based on hierarchical power structures and servitude. The predominant parenting style shifted from trus...

Systematic inclusion of mandatory interprofessional education in health professions curricula at Gunma University: a report of student self-assessment in a nine-year implementation

Human Resources for Health — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The present four subscales measure "understanding", and may take into account the development of interprofessional education programmes with clinical training in various facilities. The content and quality of clinical training subjects may be remarkably dependent on training facilities, suggesting the importance of full consultation mechanisms in the local network with the relevant educational institutes for medicine, health care and welfare. (Source: Human Resources for Health)

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Systematic inclusion of mandatory interprofessional education in health professions curricula at Gunma University: a report of student self-assessment in a nine-year implementation

Human Resources for Health — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Development of the Chinese language paediatric daily occupation scale in Taiwan

Occupational Therapy International — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The aim of this study was to describe the development of the paediatric daily occupation scale (PDOS) that was validated with Taiwanese children aged from birth to 72 months. Item-scale correlation coefficient was also used to select items. The psychometric properties of PDOS were examined based on the results of 957 children who participated in the study. The Chinese child development inventory (CCDI) was used as a standard to examine the concurrent validity of PDOS on two different samples.The PDOS, completed by parents, contains 340 items with good internal consistency (Cronbach's [agr] = 0.99), test-retest reliability (r = 0.99) and concurrent validity (r = 0.88 between PDOS and CCDI). The sensitivity of PDOS (83%) in detecting children with developmental problems was much higher than ...

Evaluation of functionality after head injury in adolescents. - Goold D, Vane DW.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 11:37:03 +0100

BACKGROUND: The Occupational Therapy Head Injury Mini Screen (OT HIMS) is a screening tool for patients admitted with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the acute care setting. It is a combination of the Galveston Orientation and Amnesia Test (GOAT) and the C... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

Gene expressions of HMGI-C and HMGI(Y) are associated with stage and metastasis in colorectal cancer

International Journal of Colorectal Disease — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 08:23:59 +0100

Conclusions The HMGI-C and HMGI(Y) quantitations by real-time RT-PCR are associated with Dukes staging and metastasis; hence, the gene expression levels may be useful in clinical practice. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticleDOI 10.1007/s00384-009-0770-7Authors Meng-Lin Huang, ZuoYing Armed Forces General Hospital Division of Proctology, Department of Surgery Kaohsiung Taiwan Republic of ChinaChou-Chan Chen, Taichung Armed Forces General Hospital Division of Proctology, Department of Surgery Taichung Taiwan Republic of ChinaLi-Ching Chang, I-Shou University Department of Occupational Therapy 8, Yi-Da Road, Yan-chau Shiang Kaohsiung Taiwan Republic of China Journal International Journal of Colorectal DiseaseOnline ISSN 1432-1262Print ISSN 0179-19...

How do employees and managers perceive depression: A worksite case study.

Work — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:04:03 +0100

Conclusion: Better links are needed between employees and managers to enhance workplace collaborations and achieve optimal work performance. The implementation of mental health support programs and the vocational role of occupational therapy in addressing the impact of depression in the workplace are discussed. PMID: 19597281 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Work)

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Effects of robotic-aided rehabilitation on recovery of upper extremity function in chronic stroke: a single case study

Occupational Therapy International — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The objective of the study was to examine the results of robotic therapy in a single client.A 48-year-old female client 15 months post-stroke, with right hemiparesis, received robotic therapy as an outpatient in a large Midwestern rehabilitation hospital. Robotic therapy was provided three times a week for 6 weeks. Robotic therapy consisted of goal-directed, robotic-aided reaching tasks to exercise the hemiparetic shoulder and elbow. No other therapeutic intervention for the affected upper extremity was provided during the study or 3 months follow-up period. The outcome measures included the Fugl-Meyer, graded Wolf motor function test (GWMFT), motor activity log, active range of motion and Canadian occupational performance measure.The participant made gains in active movement; performance;...

Repeat botulinum toxin-A injections in the upper limb of children with hemiplegia: a randomized controlled trial

Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Aim To test the effectiveness of repeat botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) injections in the affected arm of 22 children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (19 males, three females), aged 1 year 10 months to 4 years 10 months (mean 3y 8mo, SD 9mo) in a randomized controlled trial.Method Children received either three series of BoNT-A injections plus twice-weekly occupational therapy (OT) or OT alone in 16-week cycles. Muscles targeted at each injection cycle in the 11 children receiving BoNT-A+OT were the adductor pollicis (n=9), flexor pollicis longus (n=5), flexor digitorum superficialis (n=8), flexor digitorum profundus (n=8), flexor carpi radialis (n=2), flexor carpi ulnaris (n=6), pronator teres (n=10), and biceps brachii (n=11). Parental perception of treatment efficacy was assessed using the Ca...

Effectiveness of an individualized functional training program on affective disturbances and functional skills in mild and moderate dementia - a randomized control trial

International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100

We reported the findings of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to examine the effects of an individualized functional enhancement program (FEP) on functional skills and mood symptoms in mild and moderate dementia.74 Chinese older persons with dementia were recruited into a skills training program by occupational therapists (OT). Thirty seven subjects were trained with an individualized selection of daily activities (FEP Intervention, I); 37 were trained with general occupational therapy (Control, C). The FEP comprised of twice weekly group sessions of skills training and problem solving using cognitive behavioral approach.At 1 month after completion of program, both I and C subjects showed an improvement in process skills of the assessment of motor and process skills (AMPS)(paired t-tests...

Roles, Skills, and Competencies of Middle Managers in Occupational Therapy

The Health Care Manager — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:48:37 +0100

This article describes the most essential roles, skills, and competencies needed by middle managers in occupational therapy organizations. Middle-level managers are responsible for a specific segment of the organization. They are uniquely positioned to foster changes in the department. Because of the challenges in the health care environment, it is important to discuss the roles that middle managers need to bring out the viability and growth of their departments and organization. These roles include planner, strategic planner, coordinator, leader, problem solver, and negotiator. To conduct these roles, skills and competencies that are closely linked to the effective performance of those roles are also described. Skills include human relations, marketing, and conceptual skills. Competencies...

New role for Sheena

Scotsman.com News - Health — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0100

A NEW role has been created by the health board to boost occupational therapy care in East and Midlothian. (Source: Scotsman.com News - Health)

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Syndrome of allergy, apraxia, and malabsorption: characterization of a neurodevelopmental phenotype that responds to omega 3 and vitamin E supplementation.

Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: We characterize a novel apraxia phenotype that responds to polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E. The association ofcarnitine deficiency, gluten sensitivity/food allergy, and fat malabsorption with the apraxia phenotype suggests that a comprehensive metabolic workup is warranted. Appropriate screening may identify a subgroup of children with a previously unrecognized syndrome of allergy, apraxia, and malabsorption who are responsive to nutritional interventions in addition to traditional speech and occupational therapy. Controlled trials in apraxia and autism spectrum disorders are warranted. PMID: 19623831 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine)

Occupational therapy in the age of the human genome: occupational therapists' role in genetics research and its impact on clinical practice.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Reynolds S, Lou JQ PMID: 19708481 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Reliability of the box and block test of manual dexterity for use with patients with fibromyalgia.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: The B&B Test is a reliable measure of upper-extremity function in fibromyalgia patients and is able to reveal a reduction in upper-extremity function in these patients compared with both healthy control participants and normative scores. PMID: 19708480 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Perceived levels of cultural competence among occupational therapists.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

In this study, we examine perceived cultural competence in a sample of 477 occupational therapists. The study's results indicate that among the variables that most affected how therapists rate their level of cultural competence were prior training and favorable attitudes toward cultural competence. Prior training, both formal and informal, was positively correlated with higher levels of cultural competence. In addition, practitioners who placed more value on cultural competence and felt more culturally competent to address the needs of diverse clients scored higher across all of the dimensions of cultural competence measured. These dimensions included cultural awareness and knowledge, cultural skills, and organizational support for multicultural practice. The results have implications for ...

Infinite distance between the I and the it.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Yerxa EJ Traditional science and medical practice in the 21st century often separate the I of consciousness, the person who experiences daily life, from the it of an object that can be probed, tested, and fixed. This separation may also influence the development of occupational science and the practice of occupational therapy to the detriment of the profession. Occupation must be done and experienced by an I who initiates it and is conscious of its effects. Occupational science needs to become an integral science uniting the I of intention with the it of behavior, the we of cultures and the they of social systems. Our scholars need to debate the unique nature of our science, identify the ethics and values central to inquiry and intervention, and broaden and personalize the evi...

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Influence of a misleading context on a design-copying task with children with and without learning disabilities.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: The ability to inhibit misleading contextual information and find an appropriate frame of reference may be an important developmental process in visual-motor skill development. Implications for assessment and task analysis are discussed. PMID: 19708477 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Reliability of two visual-perceptual tests for children with cerebral palsy.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: The scale-level reliabilities of both tests were satisfactory in children with cerebral palsy. Although most subscales of the TVPS-R had acceptable test-retest or interrater agreement, all subscales of the TVPS-R had large SRDs, limiting their clinical utility. PMID: 19708476 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Use of assistive technology devices in mainstream schools: students' perspective.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: The students adopted both a functional and a psychosocial perspective of their devices, and providers should neglect neither. Children and youth need both verbal information and practical experience using devices to be able to make informed decisions. PMID: 19708475 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Facilitating family occupations: family member perceptions of a specialized environment for children with mental retardation.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: A sense of intimacy and relaxation, provided by the Snoezelen environment, is important in facilitating family occupations for this population. Interventions in occupational therapy must be designed that take these requirements into consideration. PMID: 19708474 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Prospective study of the effect of sensory integration, neurodevelopmental treatment, and perceptual-motor therapy on the sensorimotor performance in children with mild mental retardation.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: SI, NDT, and PM improved sensorimotor function among children with mild mental retardation. The choice of sensorimotor approaches should be determined on the basis of the child's particular needs because each approach may have an advantage in certain aspects of sensorimotor function. PMID: 19708473 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

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Sensory overresponsivity and anxiety in children with ADHD.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: Occupational therapists treating children with ADHD and SOR should be aware that these children may also have anxiety and discuss options with families for prevention or treatment. PMID: 19708472 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Qigong massage treatment for sensory and self-regulation problems in young children with autism: a randomized controlled trial.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

This article presents a randomized controlled study evaluating the effect of a 5-month intervention directed toward improving sensory impairment, digestion, and sleep in 46 children with autism < age 6. The intervention, Qigong Sensory Training (QST), is a qigong massage intervention based in Chinese medicine. It is two-pronged: Trainers work with children directly 20 times over 5 months, and parents give the massage daily to their children. Improvement was evaluated in two settings--preschool and home--by teachers (blind to group) and parents. Teacher evaluations showed that treated children had significant classroom improvement of social and language skills and reduction in autistic behavior compared with wait-list control participants. These findings were confirmed by parent data, in...

Validity of the loewenstein occupational therapy cognitive assessment in people with intellectual disabilities.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

We examined the psychometric properties (internal consistency, concurrent criterion validity, and known-group validity) of the Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA) in people with intellectual disabilities. A total of 111 people with intellectual disabilities and 19 people with no disabilities were included. We used Cronbach's alpha, Spearman's rho, the Kruskal-Wallis test, and one-way analysis of variance for analysis, where appropriate. Results showed good internal consistency on Orientation, Visual Perception, Spatial Perception, Visuomotor Organization, and Thinking Operations subscales (Cronbach's alphas = .82, .74, .76, .86, and .80, respectively), but not on the Motor Praxis subscale (alpha = .48). We found significant correlations between participants' perfo...

Classification of occupational therapy intervention for inpatient stroke rehabilitation.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: More sessions were spent on prefunctional than on functional activities, and musculoskeletal intervention strategies were most common. Future research studies are warranted to determine the most effective intervention for this client population. PMID: 19708469 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Functional skill learning in men with traumatic brain injury.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Giuffrida CG, Demery JA, Reyes LR, Lebowitz BK, Hanlon RE The number of people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) having persistent deficits that compromise their ability to perform everyday skills is increasing. Previous occupation-based studies indicate that computer-based skills using repetitive practice may be a viable option for retraining. We investigated the effects of different practice schedules on skill learning in 6 men with TBI. Participants with significant impairments in processing and fine motor control practiced 3 tasks using a random (n = 3) or a blocked (n = 3) ordered practice schedule. Practice occurred for 55 min/day for 13 days with retention and transfer trials taking place 2 weeks after training. Both groups showed a significant increase in performance d...

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Potentially problematic postures during work site keyboard use.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: Potentially problematic postural behaviors are common among keyboard users. Our results suggest that occupational therapists must systematically assess postures on both the right and the left sides to develop the most effective intervention strategies. PMID: 19708467 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Why haven't we generated sufficient evidence? Part II: building our evidence.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Gutman SA PMID: 19708466 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Criterion validity of a home health aide's algorithm for recommending bathroom equipment.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Guay M, Desrosiers J, Dubois MF BACKGROUND: Occupational therapists are experts at adapting bathroom environments. However, to increase access to services, the algorithm "Préalables aux soins d'hygiène" (French for "Prerequisites for bathing care") has been developed to be used by trained home health aides to recommend bathroom equipment. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the criterion validity of the algorithm by measuring the level of agreement between an occupational therapist's recommendations (gold standard) and those made by four home health aides using the algorithm. METHODS: Community-living adults with bathing difficulties (n = 96) were visited by both types of evaluators. FINDINGS: Home health aides correctly identified clinical situations in...

Client-centred home modifications improve daily activity performance of older adults.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Stark S, Landsbaum A, Palmer JL, Somerville EK, Morris JC BACKGROUND: Remaining at home is a high priority for many older adults, but the capacity to "age in place" often is threatened by environmental barriers. PURPOSE: To describe a client-centred occupational therapy home modification intervention program and examine the impact of the intervention on daily activity performance over time. METHODS: Using a competence-environmental press framework, a client-centred home modification program for older adults was implemented. In this quasiexperimental, single group prospective study, participants'subjective ratings of daily activity performance were evaluated before and after the intervention (baseline/post/post). FINDINGS: After home modification, participants'perception of the...

Bridging research and policy in aging: issues of structure, process and communication.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Martin-Matthews A PMID: 19757728 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy)

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Addressing pediatric wait times using the model of human performance technology.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Hoyt-Hallett G, Beckers K, Enman M, Betuzzi C BACKGROUND: When traditional approaches to waitlist management are unsuccessful, service managers and providers must consider alternatives. PURPOSE: To describe how the model of human performance technology was used to address an extensive pediatric waitlist. METHODS: Data were obtained from in-depth interviews with clinicians, educators, and parents and analyzed according to the model. FINDINGS: The need for a paradigm shift from a linear model of service delivery to a continuum of service was identified which could meet the unique needs of each child and family. Services include information, education, and supports, and all are grounded in principles of family-centred care. IMPLICATIONS: The model of human performance technology ...

A critical examination of school-based occupational therapy collaborative consultation.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Villeneuve M BACKGROUND: Although collaborative consultation has been widely adopted in school-based occupational therapy practice, there is limited conceptual understanding of how collaboration contributes to educationally relevant outcomes for students with disabilities. Even without a clear understanding of the evidence related to school-based occupational therapy services, there continue to be decisions about funding and delivery of services. PURPOSE: This paper synthesizes and critically appraises the research literature on collaborative consultation services in school-based occupational therapy in order to provide program administrators with direction for critically examining decision making for service delivery in their districts. KEY ISSUES: Advancing occupational ther...

Commentary on child health and well-being... the policy-research interface.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Reynolds N PMID: 19757725 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Influencing policy to advance practice in ways that improve health.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Watson D PMID: 19757724 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Occupational therapy treatment with right half-field eye-patching for patients with subacute stroke and unilateral neglect: a randomised controlled trial.

Disability and Rehabilitation — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 22:31:03 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: Right half-field eye-patching improved stroke patients' impairment level in terms of UN, but the potential benefits in impairment tests were not confirmed by improvements in function. PMID: 19360499 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Disability and Rehabilitation)

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Children With Elbow Extension Forearm Rotation Limitation: Functional Outcomes Using the Forearm Rotation Elbow Orthosis.

JPO Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 11:10:26 +0100

A common upper-limb deformity in children with cerebral palsy or obstetric brachial plexus palsy is a pronation or supination contracture of the forearm in association with a flexion contracture of the elbow. This case study presents preliminary data showing the potential benefits of the Forearm Rotation Elbow Orthosis (FREO) used as an adjunct to occupational therapy treatment. The FREO improves hand-arm alignment and function by increasing active and passive joint range of motion, and consistent night use can eliminate the need for repeated serial castings of the upper limb.Page: 160DOI: 10.1097/JPO.0b013e3181b16bafAuthors: Yasukawa, Audrey OTR, MOT; Cassar, Marcus CPO (Source: JPO Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics)

Practitioners' Perceptions of the Occupational Therapy Clinical Doctorate

Journal of Allied Health — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:27:31 +0100

This article is currently available as a free download on IngentaConnect (Source: Journal of Allied Health)

An Exploratory Study of Competencies for Emerging Practice in Occupational Therapy

Journal of Allied Health — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:27:31 +0100

(Source: Journal of Allied Health)

Unilateral and bilateral upper extremity weight-bearing effect on upper extremity impairment and functional performance after brain injury

Occupational Therapy International — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of upper extremity (UE) weight bearing on UE impairment functional performance of persons with acquired brain injury (BI).A quasi-experimental design was used to examine a convenience sample of 99 persons with acquired BI and 22 without BI (WBI) living in a community re-entry centre. A computerized force-sensing array pressure map system was used to determine the UE pressure during unilateral and bilateral conditions. Differences between groups were examined using t-tests. Correlations were computed between UE weight bearing and hand function, and functional performance as measured by the Fugl-Meyer scale and functional independence measure (FIM) scale.The group of people with BI exerted significantly lower UE weight bearing during uni...

Clinical study on cognitive dysfunction after spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage: patient profiles and relationship to cholinergic dysfunction

Acta Neurochirurgica — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:09:39 +0100

Conclusions Poor cognitive function was common and occurred in up to 43.6% of the patients, with the verbal and behavioural memory aspects predominantly affected. We did not find a significant association between cholinergic dysfunction and cognitive dysfunction. Organization of future drug trials and cognitive rehabilitation should take into account the association between frontal lobe dysfunction and chronic hydrocephalus. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Clinical ArticleDOI 10.1007/s00701-009-0425-zAuthors George K. C. Wong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong Division of Neurosurgery Hong Kong Hong KongRosanna Wong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong Department of Occupational Therapy Hong Kong Hong KongVincent C. T. Mok, The Chinese University of Hong Kong ...

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International Handbook of Occupational Therapy Interventions

Springer Medicine titles — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:02:03 +0100

Ingrid Söderback, Uppsala Universitet, Uppsala and Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden Resources for rehabilitation specialists tend to follow a straight line: injury—disability—limitation—intervention. The International Handbook of Occupational Therapy Interventions breaks with this tradition, organized by type of intervention ... (Source: Springer Medicine titles)

Quality of life from the perspective of adolescents with cerebral palsy: “I just think I’m a normal kid, I just happen to have a disability”

Quality of Life Research — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:13:34 +0100

Conclusion Health care providers should take into consideration what adolescents with CP value the most. The identification of attributes that can be modified such as accessibility to and competence in, and preference for different activities may help professionals to advocate for greater participation in these activities and tailor individual therapeutic strategies accordingly, increasing the likelihood of enhancing the quality of life of this population. Content Type Journal ArticleDOI 10.1007/s11136-009-9501-3Authors Keiko Shikako-Thomas, McGill University School of Physical and Occupational Therapy 3654 Promenade Sir William Osler Montreal QC H3G 1Y5 CanadaLucy Lach, McGill University School of Social Work 3506 Avenue University Montreal QC H3A 2A7 CanadaAnnette ...

Profiles of Service Utilization and the Resultant Economic Impact in Preschoolers With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Journal of Pediatric Psychology — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions A comprehensive understanding of service utilization in the early years of development is important in addressing the increased service use in the preschool years and assist in guiding allocation of resources. (Source: Journal of Pediatric Psychology)

Utilization, cost, payment, and patient satisfaction of rehabilitative services in Shandong, China

Health Policy — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Healthcare providers should consider offering TCM and western medicine for morbidities requiring rehabilitative services. In a more global healthcare marketplace, the convergence of these two treatment modalities can lead to higher patient satisfaction and more cost-effective treatments. (Source: Health Policy)

Occupational therapy and neuromotor interventions

Occupational Therapy International — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

No abstract. (Source: Occupational Therapy International)

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A review of bilateral training for upper extremity hemiparesis

Occupational Therapy International — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Upper extremity hemiparesis is the most common post-stroke disability. Longitudinal studies have indicated that 30-66% of stroke survivors do not have full arm function 6 months post-stroke. The current gold standard for treatment of mild post-stroke upper limb impairment is constraint-induced therapy but, because of the inclusion criteria, alternative treatments are needed which target more impaired subjects. Bilateral arm training has been investigated as a potential rehabilitation intervention. Bilateral arm training encompasses a number of methods including: (1) bilateral isokinematic training; (2) mirror therapy using bilateral training; (3) device-driven bilateral training; and (4) bilateral motor priming. Neural mechanisms mediating bilateral training are first reviewed. The key bil...

Changes in hemiplegic grasp following distributed repetitive intervention: a case series

Occupational Therapy International — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the efficacy of a distributed model of repetitive and focused intervention on grasp force, and clinical and functional hand measures in persons with chronic hemiplegia and limited hand recovery from self-reported stroke.A case series design was used. Focused repetitive unilateral and bilateral interventions were provided in a distributed manner (three times a week for 6 weeks) to three persons with upper limb hemiplegia of more than 1 year. Data from instrumented grasp force, and clinical and functional measures were obtained at weeks 0, 3, 6 and 9.Each participant improved in at least one measure of grasp force, as well as in clinical skill and function. All participants improved in the quality of handwriting. Improved outcomes remained a...

Task-specific training: evidence for and translation to clinical practice

Occupational Therapy International — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0100

There is mounting evidence of the value of task-specific training as a neuromotor intervention in neurological rehabilitation. The evidence is founded in the psychology of motor skill learning and in the neuroscience of experience-dependent and learning-dependent neural plastic changes in the brain in animals and humans. Further, there is growing empirical evidence for the effectiveness of task-specific training in rehabilitation and for neural plastic changes following task-oriented training. In this paper, we position the evidence for task-specific training in the context of rehabilitation; review its relevance for occupation-based neurological rehabilitation, particularly in relation to upper limb function and everyday activities; and recommend evidence-driven strategies for its applica...

Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders and Injuries: Differences Among Older and Younger Occupational and Physical Therapists

Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 10:12:15 +0100

Conclusions Older and younger therapists have similar work-related injury experiences. Older workers may be more vulnerable to lost work time and may experience more severe pain symptoms. Many interventions exist to prevent work-related injuries to therapists and more guidance in the best way to integrate these interventions (e.g., mechanical lift devices) into therapy practice is needed. Content Type Journal ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10926-009-9184-1Authors Phyllis King, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Health Sciences, Department of Occupational Therapy P.O. Box 413 Milwaukee WI 53201 USAWendy Huddleston, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Health Sciences, Physical Therapy Program Milwaukee WI USAAmy R. Darragh, The Ohio State University School of Allied Medical P...

The Pipeline Training Program in Maternal and Child Health: Interdisciplinary Preparation of Undergraduate Students from Underrepresented Groups

Maternal and Child Health Journal — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:20:54 +0100

Abstract The Preparing Academically Successful Students in Maternal and Child Health (MCH PASS) training program provided financial support and specialized training to occupational therapy (OT) and speech-language pathology (SLP) undergraduate students from underrepresented groups in maternal and child health. The project assisted undergraduate trainees to matriculate into graduate programs in their respective fields and facilitated application into long-term maternal and child health training programs. Sixteen trainees (8 OT and 8 SLP) participated in an undergraduate training program with an emphasis on interdisciplinary teaming, family mentoring, leadership development, public health and population-based research. Instruction occurred in community and classroom settings...

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Capturing presence moments: the art of mindful practice in occupational therapy.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy — Sun, 31 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Reid D BACKGROUND: This paper explores theoretical and practical views of mindfulness and phenomena of presence moments. The potential for altering life and enabling change through lived experience of mindful presence moments has relevance for occupational therapy practice. PURPOSE: To suggest ways for occupational therapists to become mindfully present during practice. Based on theoretical perspectives drawn from the fields of psychology, philosophy, psychoanalysis, neuroscience, and education, a four-fold approach will be outlined for occupational therapists to practice mindfully and experience presence moments. KEY ISSUES: This approach emphasizes key concepts of awareness, non-judgment, reflection, curiosity, and commitment to practice. A clinical scenario is used to illus...

Contributing to operations of community agencies through integrated fieldwork experiences.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy — Sun, 31 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Klinger L, Bossers A BACKGROUND: Occupational therapists are change agents who are well equipped to participate in community development. Community development projects can help agencies in many ways, including determining needs, educating stakeholders, developing novel programs, finding and creating resources, marketing the agency, and creating or implementing policy. In order for service agencies to profit, they need an understanding of the skills occupational therapists can offer. The best way to gain that knowledge may be through direct experience. PURPOSE: This paper describes the benefits that flow to community agency partners and to occupational therapy students from an innovative, integrated fieldwork model that links students with service agencies. KEY ISSUES: This ap...

A framework for combining theoretical conceptual practice models in occupational therapy practice.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy — Sun, 31 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Ikiugu MN, Smallfield S, Condit C BACKGROUND: Occupational therapists find it difficult to use theoretical conceptual practice models to guide practice because no single model can address all of a client's occupational performance issues. PURPOSE: This paper presents a proposed framework for combining conceptual practice models to guide both collaborative assessment and intervention planning to address clients' occupational performance issues. The framework was designed as a tool not only to help therapists use theoretical models more easily, but also to help them better defend their intervention decisions. KEY ISSUES: The framework provides a systematic method of combining a variety of theoretical conceptual practice models to address a client's issues more comprehensively th...

An analysis of constraints on access to augmentative communication in cerebral palsy.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy — Sun, 31 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Costigan FA, Newell KM BACKGROUND: Effective use of augmentative communication requires an individual to manage its technical aspects. Motor-skill limitations in cerebral palsy (i.e., individual constraints) can influence this ability as can demands imposed by communication devices (i.e., task constraints). PURPOSE: This paper emphasizes the importance of analyzing the confluence of task and individual constraints in promoting a functional fit between the individual with cerebral palsy and the communication device. We demonstrate the utility of current principles of motor control in analyzing this confluence. KEY ISSUES: Task constraints imposed by target selection and individual constraints imposed by cerebral palsy are introduced prior to an analysis of their confluence usin...

Friendship experiences among children with disabilities who attend mainstream Australian schools.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy — Sun, 31 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Morrison R, Burgman I PURPOSE: To explore the experiences of friendship for children with disabilities who attend mainstream Australian schools. BACKGROUND: Being a friend is an important occupational role for all children. However, the literature suggests that physical inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream schools does not necessarily develop social inclusion. METHODS: Phenomenology was used to explore friendship experiences of 10 primary school children with disabilities. FINDINGS: Five themes emerged from the data: (1) self-identity; (2) meaning of friendship; (3) classroom experiences; (4) playing together; (5) longing for friendship. These themes reflected the importance of friendship in the children's lives, the influence of the children's beliefs and val...

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Children with disabilities' perceptions of activity participation and environments: a pilot study.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy — Sun, 31 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Harding J, Harding K, Jamieson P, Mullally M, Politi C, Wong-Sing E, Law M, Petrenchik TM BACKGROUND: Children with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to participation restrictions resulting from the interactions between children and their physical and social environments. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of how children with disabilities view their participation in out-of-school-time (OST) activities in a range of environmental settings. METHODS: A case-study design was used to examine six children's views on their OST activities using the Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE), photographs of their OST activity settings, and semi-structured interviews. FINDINGS: CAPE results indicated that the children participa...

The power of face-to-face interactions.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy — Sun, 31 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Finlayson M PMID: 19630302 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Electrophysiologically guided versus non-electrophysiologically guided selective dorsal rhizotomy for spastic cerebral palsy: a comparison of outcomes

Child's Nervous System — Sat, 30 May 2009 08:20:29 +0100

Conclusions There was no advantage of doing SDR with EPG compared to no EPG. SDR can reasonably be done in centers where EPG is not available, but electrophysiological stimulation to distinguish dorsal from ventral roots may be useful in avoiding complications. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original PaperDOI 10.1007/s00381-009-0908-5Authors Paul Steinbok, University of British Columbia and British Columbia’s Children’s Hospital Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery 4480 Oak St, #K3-159 Vancouver BC V6H 3V4 CanadaAndrew J. Tidemann, Child Youth and Women’s Health Service Department of Paediatric Rehabilitation Adelaide South Australia AustraliaStacey Miller, British Columbia’s Children’s Hospital Department of Physiotherapy Vancouver...

End of life decisions aided by video

OnMedica Latest News — Fri, 29 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100

Older people better informed over care through film Related items from OnMedicaGPs should promote occupational therapy & physical activityA&E survey reveals need for better pain controlPatients to be asked even more about their GPLess than a third of clinicians receive end-of-life care trainingLaunch of survey on access to GP surgeries (Source: OnMedica Latest News)