BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease and treatment have a severe and detrimental impact on life participation, reducing independence, autonomy, physical and cognitive function requiring a multidisciplinary approach. Occupational therapists have comprehensive skills in enabling independence and quality of life, yet the role in a kidney team is poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: To identify occupational therapy services for adults diagnosed with kidney disease which will inform future practice, service planning and role definition. METHODS: Following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO-OVID, ProQuest, and CINAHL were searched from inception to 15 December 2025. The population of interest was adults at any grade of kidney disease, the concept being occupational therapy services/models of care, and the context of any service setting. Results were transferred from Endnote to Covidence, duplicates removed and the title and abstract of articles screened. The full text of the remaining articles was assessed by two researchers, and themes were identified in alignment with the research questions. RESULTS: The search provided 1603 results, with 434 duplicates removed leaving 1169 articles. Following title and abstract screening, 40 papers remained for full text review, resulting in 23 studies for data extraction and analysis. Themes identified included types of occupational therapy interventions, grade of disease progression when interventions were undertaken, models of care and service location. The most reported occupational therapy roles related to activities of daily living, equipment prescription and mental health interventions. CONCLUSIONS: While the occupational therapy role for patients with kidney disease is evolving worldwide, notably over the past 5 years, it is still underutilised. Further research is required to inform the development of clinical practice guidelines for clear role delineation.
Australian occupational therapy journalLaura Irvine-Brown, Ana Malfitano, Shawna Mastro Campbell, Amelia Di Tommaso, Lisette Farias
INTRODUCTION: Critical thinking is widely recognised as essential for occupational therapy education and practice, yet its conceptualisation, teaching, and assessment remain inconsistent across international contexts. Existing literature highlights a lack of clarity regarding effective pedagogical approaches and a limited understanding of how educators make sense of critical thinking within occupational therapy curricula. This study examined how occupational therapy educators across different countries conceptualise critical thinking and how it features in the programmes they teach. METHODS: A convergent mixed-methods design was used. Occupational therapy educators completed an online survey (available in Spanish, Portuguese, and English) containing 28 quantitative items and six open-ended qualitative questions. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, and group comparisons were made using the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn tests. Qualitative data underwent inductive content analysis within language groups and were later synthesised across datasets through reflexive, collaborative analysis. CONSUMER AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: No consumers were involved in the study conceptualisation or analysis. RESULTS: Responses revealed a spectrum of conceptualisations of critical thinking, ranging from concrete, pragmatic, and clinically focused understandings to abstract, socially oriented, and transformative perspectives. English-language responses tended to emphasise clinical reasoning, evidence use, and decision-making, whereas Portuguese and Spanish responses more strongly foregrounded reflection on knowledge, sociopolitical structures, and critical action. Teaching practices mirrored this spectrum: Critical thinking was taught unevenly across curricula, most commonly within clinical reasoning or foundational occupational therapy subjects, with fewer programmes explicitly addressing broader sociocultural or transformative dimensions. CONCLUSION: Findings highlight significant epistemological variation shaping how critical thinking is conceptualised and enacted in occupational therapy education. Recognising these epistemological foundations, rather than seeking a universal definition, may support more intentional, inclusive, and socially responsive curriculum design.
Australian occupational therapy journalGema Puig-Esteve, Rodolfo Morrison
INTRODUCTION: Occupational resilience has emerged as a construct that links the capacity to face adversity with the role of meaningful occupations in the adaptation and recovery of individuals, groups, and communities. However, its definition, theoretical frameworks, and applications remain heterogeneous and partial. This lack of systematisation hinders its integration into occupational therapy and occupational science. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to map and synthesise the scientific literature on occupational resilience, identifying how it is conceptualised and operationalised. METHODS: Using established scoping review frameworks, publications from 2000 to 2025 were searched in databases and through manual searching, including empirical studies and conceptual literature that addressed occupational resilience and its relationship with occupational participation in contexts of adversity. CONSUMER AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: There was no direct participation of consumers or community representatives in the design, conduct, or interpretation of the findings of this study. RESULTS: Thirty-seven studies were included that show diverse uses of the term occupational resilience and related concepts, tending to conceptualise it as a trait, an individual capacity, a dynamic process, and an adaptive outcome linked to occupational performance. The findings highlight the role of meaningful occupations in modulating suffering and emotional activation and in rebuilding purpose, agency, roles, routines, and identities after adversity. They also reveal marked differences in definitions, measures, and designs, with a predominance of approaches focussed on individual resilience, mainly in work-related contexts, and limited attention to structural dimensions and occupational justice. CONCLUSION: This review offers a structured view of occupational resilience and of the place that meaningful occupations occupy in resilience processes, proposing a process-oriented definition that articulates personal, contextual, and occupational dimensions. The results underscore the need to define integrated theoretical frameworks and occupational therapy interventions explicitly oriented towards the occupational effects of trauma, which validate pain, support the restoration and reinvention of occupational participation, and question the social conditions that make sustained resilience necessary.
INTRODUCTION: The primary school setting is a dynamic practice context for occupational therapists. Despite a clear interest in understanding and intervening in self-regulation in the classroom, little school-specific literature is available. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted to examine how occupational therapists understand self-regulation in the mainstream primary school setting. The literature was searched as follows: occupational therapists (population [P]); self-regulation intervention, assessment, or program (concept [C]); and education, school, and classrooms (context [C]). CONSUMER AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: No consumers were directly involved in this review. The topic was informed by occupational therapy practice with teachers and families to ensure relevance to school and community needs. RESULTS: Literature was scoped from five key health databases (CINAHL Complete, Embase via Ovid, ERIC, Ovid MEDLINE, and APA PsycInfo), with 192 papers initially identified. Two authors completed initial title and abstract screening, and full-text papers were reviewed by the entire research team. Data were charted into tables following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. Papers were included if occupational therapists were the main population of interest; included an intervention that improved classroom self-regulation skills (student or teacher), and occurred in a mainstream primary school (public or private). CONCLUSION: Twelve papers were included in the final review. Seven papers were from a peer-reviewed source, and five papers were dissertations (i.e. grey literature). Self-regulation continues to be incompletely considered in the included papers, with papers either focussed on related constructs or on self-regulation-targeting programmes. Self-regulation was also not well understood occupationally, with little to no operationalisation in terms of students' school-related occupational performance and/or engagement outcomes. Further research is needed to appropriately conceptualise, define, and map self-regulation occupationally.
Australian occupational therapy journalArabella Hely, Claire Pearce
INTRODUCTION: Occupational therapists in the Australian context provide significant value to mental health, including through Better Access, a Medicare initiative that gives individuals access to up to 10 sessions with a psychologist, social worker, or occupational therapist following a referral from a medical practitioner. However, the experiences of occupational therapists working under the initiative are not widely understood, with no recent occupational therapy-specific research. This study aims to explore the experiences of occupational therapists working under Better Access, their distinct role, and how the system shapes the care clients receive. METHODS: The study used a qualitative, inductive approach. Thirteen occupational therapists who work with people funded by Better Access participated in 30-minute, semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed via thematic analysis. CONSUMER AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: The lead researcher for this study has lived experience of mental illness and Better Access, but further consumer and community involvement was not undertaken. FINDINGS: Analysis generated themes highlighting the complexity of occupational therapy practice within a psychology-centric system. Participants described how occupational therapists drew on specialised skills to support clients with complex needs, yet worked within structural constraints such as restrictive practice rules, session caps, and limited remuneration. Themes also reflected the undervaluation of occupational therapy and the need for ongoing advocacy to ensure equitable access to services, appropriate funding, and recognition of the profession's contribution. CONCLUSION: The design of Better Access restricts the ability of occupational therapists to provide meaningful and sustainable occupational therapy services. Findings provide further evidence that longstanding issues identified in early research have persisted and that the burden occupational therapists face of consistently advocating for the profession and their clients is symptomatic of broader structural inequities. Findings highlight the need for systemic reform.
Australian occupational therapy journalEmma Dempsey, Laura Manley, Anne Honey, Yu Zhuang Germaine Lim, Yu-Wei Chen, Margaret McGrath
INTRODUCTION: Understanding the form, function, and meaning of occupations is essential for effective occupational therapy practice. Parenting is widely recognised as a meaningful and valued occupation. The Parenting Occupations and Purposes (POP) Framework conceptualises parenting occupations and their underlying purposes, but its validity in real-world contexts has not been tested. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of the POP Framework among parents in Ireland. METHODS: An exploratory descriptive design using Experience Sampling Methodology captured real-time data on parenting occupations and purposes via the Participation In Everyday Life mobile application. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics as well as deductive and inductive content analysis to assess the framework's applicability to the sample. CONSUMER AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Collaboration with the POP Framework developers ensured accurate application of its concepts. Partnership with the developer of the Participation In Everyday Life mobile application supported correct setup and usability. RESULTS: Forty-four parents completed 1150 surveys over 7 days. All categories in the POP Framework were represented. The most frequent occupation was attending to the child's basic needs (223 occurrences) while seeking help appeared only once. Among purposes, having the child's basic needs met dominated (571 occurrences), whereas purposes related to continuous parental development were least frequent. New examples of occupations emerged, including faith-based activities, purchasing discretionary goods, and technology-mediated monitoring (e.g., texting a spouse to check on a child), suggesting areas for framework expansion. CONCLUSION: Findings support the validity of the POP Framework in a real-world context while highlighting opportunities for refinement to capture cultural and technological dimensions of parenting. Enhancing the framework may improve understanding of parenting occupations and inform more comprehensive occupational therapy services for parents.
Australian occupational therapy journalLeanne van Diemen, Genevieve Pepin, Rachel Knight
INTRODUCTION: Occupational therapists are important members of mental health multidisciplinary teams. Despite aligning with mental health reform priorities, including promoting client centredness and participation, the role of occupational therapists in mental health, particularly in acute psychiatric inpatient units, is poorly understood. This study explored the role, function, and scope of practice of occupational therapists in Australian acute psychiatric inpatient units. METHODS: This mixed methods, convergent parallel design study combined in-depth interviewing and a cross-sectional survey. Qualitative and quantitative data were analysed using thematic analysis and descriptive statistics, respectively. Both forms of data were analysed separately and then integrated and merged using a contiguous approach. The Occupational Therapy Australia Mental Health Capability Framework guided survey questions and interview guide development. The Model of Human Occupation informed interview guide development, while maintaining an occupational focus across the study. CONSUMER INVOLVEMENT: Consumer involvement was not relevant for this study. FINDINGS: Fifty-nine mental health occupational therapists participated in the study. All completed the survey, and 13 also participated in interviews. Participants were mostly females (83%), aged under 30 (58%), from Victoria (70%), with less than 3 years' experience in acute psychiatric inpatient units (77%). Four themes were identified: (1) a day in the life-same same but different, (2) the underutilised potential of occupational therapy, (3) an evolving practice and increasing demand, and (4) practice shaped by and shaping the environment. Key functions of the role included assessment, completed by survey participants either once a day (37%) or more (16%); individual interventions, completed once a day (48%); group work, completed several times a day (43%); and discharge planning. CONCLUSION: Occupational therapists working in Australian acute psychiatric inpatient units share common functions, challenges, and experiences. Limited resources and challenges advocating for their role impact occupational therapists' ability to demonstrate their value within multidisciplinary teams.
BACKGROUND: Occupational therapy (OT) is an important component of stroke rehabilitation, but the global research landscape, collaboration patterns, research hotspots, and emerging trends in OT for stroke have not been systematically mapped. This bibliometric study aimed to analyze publications on OT for stroke from 2006 to 2025 and provide evidence for future clinical practice and research planning. METHODS: English-language articles related to OT for stroke were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection from January 1, 2006, to October 31, 2025. After applying predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, bibliometric and visualization analyses were performed using VOSviewer and CiteSpace 6.4.R1. Publication trends, countries, institutions, authors, journals, keyword co-occurrence, keyword clustering, timeline evolution, and burst terms were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 770 publications were included. The annual number of publications showed a fluctuating but overall upward trend, with the highest output observed in 2021 and 2022, each with 60 publications. The United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and China were the leading contributing countries, while Jikei University and La Trobe University were the most productive institutions. The most prolific authors were Masahiro Abo and Louise Gustafsson. The British Journal of Occupational Therapy and Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation were the leading journals in terms of publication output. Keyword analyses showed that early research mainly focused on upper-limb function, functional recovery, and basic rehabilitation interventions, whereas recent hotspots have expanded to neurorehabilitation, knowledge translation, virtual reality, clinical trials, mental health, and home-based rehabilitation. CONCLUSION: Research on OT for stroke has increased overall over the past 2 decades, with evolving hotspots from impairment-oriented rehabilitation toward broader, occupation-centered, participation-oriented, technology-assisted, and home-based rehabilitation approaches. However, collaboration among countries, institutions, and authors remains relatively fragmented. Future studies should strengthen international and interdisciplinary cooperation and generate high-quality clinical evidence to support OT practice in stroke rehabilitation.
BMJ openCheol Jeong, Margaret Jones, Clare Hocking, Christian Krägeloh
INTRODUCTION: Digital tools such as virtual reality, mobile applications and digital devices are being implemented across various healthcare practice settings. Engagement in occupations is central to occupational therapy, supporting health and quality of life. Occupational therapists support people with disabilities to participate in occupations by enhancing their abilities or adapting tasks and environments. However, literature rarely specifies how digital technologies are used by occupational therapists, with whom they are implemented, when and where they are delivered, what occupations are addressed or the enablers and barriers that influence the uptake of digital technologies in practice. This scoping review will map and synthesise the existing evidence on how occupational therapists use digital technologies to support people with disabilities to engage in occupations. By identifying the types of technologies used, their purposes, target populations and practice contexts, this review will inform the effective use of digital technologies by occupational therapists and their clients. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This review will be conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodological framework for scoping reviews and reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. To identify relevant evidence, we will search several electronic databases, including CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, ERIC and OTseeker. Search limits will include full-text articles published in English from 2020 onwards. Title and abstract screening will be conducted independently by at least two reviewers against the inclusion and exclusion criteria followed by full-text review. Data extraction will use a structured form to capture key information such as study characteristics, types of digital technologies, country, participant information, occupation-based focus of intervention and reported outcomes. The extracted data will be analysed using both qualitative and quantitative approaches, with findings presented in tables, narrative summaries and other descriptive formats. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval is not required for this scoping review as it will synthesise evidence from existing literature. The review findings will be reported in peer-reviewed publications. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: https://osf.io/3dy9z.
Scandinavian journal of occupational therapyKatharina Sjöberg, Synneve Dahlin-Ivanoff, Katarina Wilhelmson, Isabelle Andersson Hammar
INTRODUCTION: Research has shown that older people experienced mental and physical health issues due to isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, more in-depth knowledge is needed regarding the consequences for frail older people. AIM: To explore frail older people's experiences of managing everyday life in quarantine during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty people were interviewed, and the data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: The people experienced powerlessness under the restrictions and limitations in everyday life beyond control. To cope with these experiences, they accepted and trusted the restrictions and strived for meaningfulness in everyday life. CONCLUSIONS: Frail older people experienced managing everyday life in double exposure during the pandemic, where personal vulnerabilities and external restrictions intersected, limiting their ability to adapt and maintain autonomy in everyday life. Supporting meaningful routines and enabling participation are therefore central, underscoring the important role of occupational therapy in mitigating the impact of disrupted everyday life. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the needs of frail older people. This approach is essential to sustaining leisure activities, fostering social connections, and promoting health and well-being during future disruptive events.
JMIR formative researchJennifer K James, Mary P Shotwell, Hannah M Jensen, Shirley A James
BACKGROUND: Determining the appropriate dosage of pediatric occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology services is important when supporting families of children with disabilities. However, therapy dosage is inconsistently reported, and caregiver-delivered practice between sessions is rarely documented. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) offers a method to capture caregiver practice in real time and to examine factors that influence it. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to pilot the use of EMA to measure caregiver practices between therapy sessions and to compare EMA-reported practices with caregiver recall. METHODS: This pilot prospective cohort study used convenience sampling to recruit caregivers of children receiving therapy services. During September 2024, participants completed a confidential baseline Qualtrics survey in their homes, which included recall of home practice from the previous week. Participants were then invited to complete 30 days of EMA logging of daily practice. Five participants enrolled in the EMA phase, which began 24 to 72 hours after baseline survey completion and took place during October and November 2024. Semistructured follow-up interviews were conducted immediately after the 30-day EMA period. RESULTS: Of the 34 survey participants, 5 continued to the EMA phase, contributing 150 days of data, with 82 completed entries (82/150, 55%). Caregivers primarily completed EMA logs on days when practice occurred; missing entries were coded as zero practice based on caregiver reports. Recalled practice averaged 4.5 (SD 5.65) bouts/day and 11.6 (SD 6.35) minutes/bout, totaling 71.2 (SD 121.02) minutes/day. EMA-reported practice across all days (n=150) averaged 2.7 (SD 4.39) bouts/day and 6.5 (SD 6.45) minutes/bout, totaling 23.2 (SD 14.12) minutes/day, which was substantially lower than recalled estimates. On days when practice was reported (n=82), EMA-documented practice averaged 5.2 (SD 3.28) bouts/day and 6.5 (SD 6.45) minutes/bout, totaling 23.9 (SD 14.72) minutes/day. Variability in recalled practice was high (mean 71.19, SD 121.02 min/d). Caregivers described practice as occurring in short, frequent bouts embedded within daily routines, with routine integration, child engagement, and recall of therapist strategies identified as key facilitators. CONCLUSIONS: Caregiver-delivered practice occurred in short, frequent bouts integrated into daily routines. EMA-reported practice was substantially lower than caregiver recall, suggesting that retrospective recall and prospectively reported EMA data may differ substantially. These findings highlight the importance of teaching strategies that are brief, engaging, and easily incorporated into daily routines. Despite the small sample, EMA was acceptable to a subset of caregivers who completed participation; however, substantial attrition between survey enrollment and EMA initiation suggests significant feasibility and participation barriers that warrant further investigation.
Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyNam Thanh Nguyen, Mantana Vongsirinavarat, Pagamas Piriyaprasarth, Vimonwan Hiengkaew, Khanh Tuan Luong
BACKGROUND: Post-stroke shoulder pain (PSSP) is a common complication that negatively affects functional recovery and rehabilitation outcomes. Despite the availability of evidence-informed management strategies, clinical practice may vary across settings, particularly in lower-and middle-income countries. PURPOSE: To investigate current assessment and management practices for PSSP among physical and occupational therapists in Vietnam and to identify potential evidence and practice gaps as well as the barriers to effective care. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted online among rehabilitation professionals working in stroke care in 14 hospitals across all regions of Vietnam. A structured questionnaire was designed to capture the actual practice information on assessment approaches, treatment strategies, preventive measures, and perceived barriers to PSSP management. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize responses, and comparisons between levels of clinical experience were performed. The results were also analyzed for their alignment with the evidence-informed rehabilitation principles. RESULTS: A total of 214 therapists (191 physical therapists and 23 occupational therapists) participated in the online survey. Most respondents reported that 25%-75% of their stroke patients experienced shoulder pain. Common assessment methods included shoulder subluxation, patient-reported pain, and range-of-motion evaluation. Only 53.74% of respondents reported using standardized outcome measures. Preventive strategies such as positioning and sling usage were widely implemented (70.64%). In treatment, 37.38% of therapists emphasized modalities, while 35.98% used combined approaches and 26.64% focused on mobility-based exercise. Key barriers included lack of long-term follow-up (65.42%), time constraints (45.79%), and inconsistent treatment approaches (45.79%). DISCUSSION: The findings revealed considerable variation in PSSP assessment and management practices among rehabilitation professionals in Vietnam, with a substantial proportion of respondents reporting treatment approaches centered on passive modalities. System-level barriers, including limited follow-up and time constraints, were frequently perceived by respondents as influencing their clinical practice. These findings may help inform future initiatives related to professional training, practice standardization, and development of context-specific guidelines for post-stroke shoulder pain management.
Child: care, health and developmentBaşak Ergün, Emirhan Karakuş, Meral Huri
BACKGROUND: School participation plays a critical role in children's development; however, the extent to which school-based occupational therapy (SBOT) interventions align with the 'F-words for Child Development' (Functioning, Family, Fitness, Friendships, Fun, Future) has not been systematically examined. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to systematically scope SBOT interventions published between 1990 and 2025 and classify them according to the F-words framework. METHODS: The review adopted the Arksey-O'Malley scoping review framework as the foundational methodological structure and incorporated Levac et al.'s refinements to enhance rigour. The review was informed by Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidance for scoping reviews, and reporting followed the PRISMA-ScR checklist. PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were searched using strategies grounded in the OTPF-4 and MeSH. Eligibility criteria included peer-reviewed intervention studies delivered in schools to students aged 3-18 years, published in English between 1990 and 2025. RESULTS: Of 2406 records, 35 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most originated from North America and Australia. The distribution of interventions across the F-words domains was uneven: Functioning appeared in 34 studies (97%), Fitness in 29 (83%), Fun in 23 (66%), Family in 18 (51%), Future in 11 (31%) and Friendships in only 7 (20%). CONCLUSIONS: SBOT research predominantly emphasizes Functioning and Fitness, while Friendships and Future are comparatively neglected. A more balanced application of the F-words framework would provide a broader understanding of how SBOT interventions are distributed across child development domains.
Frontiers in public healthAmani Alnamnakani, Hassan Izzeddin Sarsak, Olfat Ibrahim Ali, Naif Qasem Aljabri, Sarah Ziyadah, Shouq Almutairi, Tala Almarshoud, Leen Maghrabi, Rahaf Almalky
BACKGROUND: Palliative care (PC) is a specialized healthcare approach dedicated to improving the quality of life for patients and families facing life-threatening illnesses. While global standards emphasize a multidisciplinary team, the specific role of Occupational Therapy (OT) within the Saudi Arabian PC landscape remains under-investigated. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers of Saudi Occupational therapists (OTs). METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 50 licensed occupational therapists in Saudi Arabia. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential tests, including Pearson's Chi-square and Independent Samples t-tests, to evaluate the influence of education and experience on PC competencies. RESULTS: 50% of participants demonstrated "average" knowledge, and 80% reported positive attitudes. However, critical gaps were identified, with 94% incorrectly believing PC is only for the terminal stages. Statistical analysis revealed that therapists who received PC training during their university education had significantly higher knowledge scores (p = 0.041) than those who did not. The primary barrier to practice was a lack of awareness regarding the OT role (54%). CONCLUSION: Although Saudi occupational therapists mainly held favorable views about PC, there were notable knowledge gaps and misunderstandings regarding palliative care. The most significant barrier identified was a lack of awareness of the OT role in a palliative setting. As such, integrating standardized PC modules into OT curricula is vital for raising the awareness of the OT role and aligning with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 healthcare objectives.
The unique preparation of occupational therapists enables them to strongly influence an individual with upper limb absence. Understanding the phases of prosthetic rehabilitation with patient-centered protocols is required to meet the functional needs of individuals fit with diverse prostheses, including presurgery and postsurgery, preprosthetic fitting, and prosthetic training interventions to facilitate optimal functional outcomes. These protocols support independence and are adapted dependent on the individual client factors and the prosthetic device used. A collaborative interprofessional dynamic that engages the team is crucial to prepare each patient to reach their maximum potential and to enjoy wellness, well-being, and quality of life.
JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical AssociationRamma Inam, Saleh Shah, Muhammad Sana Ullah, Tahreem Tariq, Hira Ashraf
The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Ayres sensory integration therapy versus conservative treatment in autism spectrum disorder. In a prospective randomised controlled trial, we assessed pre- and post-intervention scores of both the intervention group (A) that took ASI and the control group (B) that received conservative treatment-only behaviour therapy, speech therapy, and educational activities of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) -using sensory profile from Jan 2024 to July 2024. Thirty diagnosed ASD cases, age range 2-8 years, were randomly enrolled in both groups (n=15/group) at the RICCER Institute of Faisalabad. The intervention group (A) was noted to be significantly better in mean change as compared with the control group (B). Independent and paired t-test results showed significant relationship between ASI intervention group (A) and sensory integration dysfunction, while non-significant relationship between sensory integration dysfunction and conservative group (B) treatment (p> 0.05). Ayres Sensory Integration, an Occupational Therapy Approach, was significantly effective in developing socialisation, self-care, and aim accomplishment in comparison to conservative treatment in ASD.
OBJECTIVE: Occupational therapy interventions for people living with dementia have been shown to have positive outcomes for the person and family carers. However, people from culturally diverse communities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are largely missing from research studies. People with dementia from these communities have unique needs, and they can experience health inequity. The aim of this study was to use inclusive methods to explore key factors contributing to and identify potential adaptations required for culturally inclusive and acceptable occupational therapy interventions for people living with dementia. METHODS: We adopted best practice research methodology for working with people living with dementia from diverse communities. We conducted three collaborative workshops using co-design techniques. Attendees discussed a hypothetical vignette using group problem-solving. Findings were mapped to the key cultural adaptation framework elements using content analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-one people from diverse communities with living experience of dementia attended one of three collaborative workshops. Participants were accepting of occupational therapy intervention components. Priority areas for delivering inclusive interventions were knowing the person, establishing a therapeutic relationship and expressing cultural humility. CONCLUSION: The therapist themselves is the key factor that supports the delivery of inclusive interventions. They should be aware of and be responsive to the cultural needs of diverse communities, adjust their therapeutic approach and be prepared to offer flexibility. Working in partnership fostered successful research collaboration, showcasing how people living with dementia from diverse communities can be supported to contribute to research and potentially influence 'higher order' healthcare issues.
Occupational therapy internationalOan Na Lee, Gyeong-A Park
PURPOSE: Multicultural competence is an essential skill for healthcare professionals, particularly in multicultural contexts. It is important to examine the factors that influence multicultural competence among health professionals. This study aimed to investigate the effect of various factors on multicultural competence of occupational therapists in South Korea. METHODS: A total of 153 occupational therapists (aged 23-55 years) in South Korea completed a set of self-report questionnaires, including the Scale of Ethnocultural Empathy (SEE), Big Five Inventory (BFI), Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale (RSES), and Cultural Competence Assessment Inventory (CCAI). Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statics Version 27.0. To examine the relationships among demographic variables, multicultural empathy, personality traits, self-esteem, and multicultural competence, descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis were conducted. RESULTS: Openness, multicultural empathy, self-esteem, and English proficiency were significant positive predictors of multicultural competence, explaining 52.8% of its variance. These findings indicate that personal and experiential factors substantially contribute to enhancing multicultural competence among occupational therapists. CONCLUSION: Training programs aimed at improving multicultural competence should incorporate approaches that enhance occupational therapists' English proficiency, multicultural empathy, openness, and self-esteem. Strengthening these personal and experiential attributes can promote higher levels of multicultural competence and enable occupational therapists to deliver culturally sensitive and effective care in diverse clinical settings.
Occupational therapy internationalLomarie Thesnaar, Monique De Wit, Fasloen Adams, Nicola Ann Plastow
Learning is the primary occupation of adolescents in high schools, although they engage in a much wider range of occupations at school. Recent systematic and scoping reviews from high-income countries (HICs), classified by the World Bank, with the United States as the most prominent, provide evidence to support the role of occupational therapy in school participation for adolescents with developmental, health, and environmental barriers. However, participation for high school learners in the African context differs from that of learners from an HIC context, due to the unique challenges faced by learners in Africa. These challenges include poverty, educational challenges (e.g., early school dropout and teacher shortfall), infrastructure and resource shortages, cultural expectations and inequalities (e.g., family and gender norms), conflict, and instability. A scoping review was conducted to map interventions that promote participation in schools internationally and to evaluate their suitability for the African context. The Preferred Reporting Items for Scoping Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension guidelines were used to guide this review. Sources about the nature of school-based interventions for adolescents (12-18 years) that indicated a clear link between the intervention and participation in schools, published in English (with no restriction on years) and peer-reviewed, were included. A total of 2689 studies (excluding duplicates) were identified, and 15 were included. Framework analysis was used to evaluate the suitability of interventions, including the characteristics of the evidence, community-based practice, practice approaches, sustainability, cultural norms, and spirituality. Four interventions were identified as suitable for the African context: a recovery program for adolescents with substance use disorders, a social cognitive intervention to promote social skills in adolescents with autism, a transition readiness service to promote work participation, and coping strategies to promote adolescents' mental health in schools. Recommendations were made to include spirituality when delivering interventions for adolescents in African schools.
This scoping review is aimed at identifying and mapping occupational therapy-related assessments and interventions reported in prospective interventional studies and case reports on distal radius fractures, including studies addressing complications. Additionally, the review sought to summarize the current evidence in this field and identify areas requiring further research. Five studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies primarily emphasized impairment-level outcomes, such as range of motion and grip strength, whereas activity, participation, occupational performance, and psychosocial aspects were addressed less frequently. Only a limited number of studies reported complications, and the included studies generally employed relatively narrow eligibility criteria. These findings suggest that existing evidence may have limited applicability to the broader population of patients with distal radius fractures, particularly those with complications. Future research should include broader patient populations and incorporate occupation-focused approaches to better address activity, participation, and occupational performance in distal radius fracture rehabilitation.