Browsing by Subject "occupational therapy"
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- ItemOpen AccessA case study on the experiences of persons with disabilities of the disability grant processes occurring at SASSA Springbok in the Northern Cape(2021) Bock, Stacey Louisa; Sonday, Amshuda; Buchanan, HelenIntroduction: Persons with disabilities (PWDs) living in rural areas are known to have a higher risk of living in poverty as they have the lowest levels of employment. To assist persons with disabilities to overcome these challenges, the South African government has developed interventions such as social assistance programmes which aim to prevent poverty and assure the basic minimum standard of living. Over the past five years minimal research has been published which focused on the disability grant in the South African context. More specifically, no research has been conducted in the Northern Cape, home to a high proportion of persons with disabilities. Of the research conducted in other parts of South Africa, no studies have sought to understand the experiences of persons with disabilities while engaging in the disability grant process. The research question for this study was, “How are PWDs experiencing the disability grant processes occurring at the SASSA Springbok branch in the NC?” This study therefore aimed to describe the experiences of disabled persons with the disability grant processes as they occurred at the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) in Springbok, Northern Cape. Method: A single instrumental case study research design was utilised. Five participants were purposively sampled. Data were collected through document review of pertinent SASSA documents, non-participant observation, and semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed inductively, taking a thematic approach. Findings: The theme that emerged was Respecting differences is part of humanity. The main findings reveal that engaging with persons with disabilities as humans and not disregarding their humanity because of their disability are imperative to how they experience the disability grant process. Two categories, For us, human dignity matters, and the Impact of context on occupational rights, encapsulate two specific areas that relate to the theme. Conclusion: The experience of the disability grant process in this case study was influenced by stakeholder engagement with participants, mandatory protocols implemented due to the novel coronavirus, and the administrative aspects of the process. Recommendations for an improved overall experience of the disability grant process include streamlining the disability grant application process, the implementation of consistent Batho Pele principles by all stakeholders, suitably accommodating the disability grant application process for all types of disabilities, as well as maintaining the logistical structures put in place (albeit unintentionally) from the year 2020.
- ItemOpen AccessCommunity Service Occupational Therapists: thriving or just surviving?(2016-12) Van Stormbroek, Kirsty; Buchanan, HelenIntroduction: Community Service was introduced to improve access to health care for all South Africans, yet little is known about the experiences of Community Service occupational therapists. This article describes the characteristics and general experiences of Community Service occupational therapists. Methods: A national cross-sectional survey was undertaken. Data were collected with an online questionnaire to all occupational therapists completing Community Service in 2013 (n=240). Data were analysed with IBM SPSS Statistics, version 21.0, and responses to open ended questions were post-coded. Results: A 44.3% (n=104) response rate was achieved. Almost half the participants (44.7%) were located rurally with 51.5% working at primary level at least some of the time. Referrals were frequently received for wheelchair related services (61.2%), interventions related to child development (49.5%), disability grant assessments (36.9%) and treatment of adults with neurological conditions (39.8%). While some therapists felt challenged (54.2%) and frustrated (58.3%), many (75.0%) reported satisfaction from interacting with clients. Although the majority perceived the profession to be poorly recognised (63.5%), most were proud to be occupational therapists (66.7%). Conclusion: Community Service occupational therapists are playing an important role in improving access to services but Community Service needs to be situated within a broader plan to extend and strengthen services in-line with government policy.
- ItemOpen AccessComparison of an interactive with a didactic educational intervention for improving the evidence-based practice knowledge of occupational therapists in the public health sector in South Africa: a randomised controlled trial(2014-06-10) Buchanan, Helen; Siegfried, Nandi; Jelsma, Jennifer; Lombard, CarlBackground: Despite efforts to identify effective interventions to implement evidence-based practice (EBP), uncertainty remains. Few existing studies involve occupational therapists or resource-constrained contexts. This study aimed to determine whether an interactive educational intervention (IE) was more effective than a didactic educational intervention (DE) in improving EBP knowledge, attitudes and behaviour at 12 weeks. Methods: A matched pairs design, randomised controlled trial was conducted in the Western Cape of South Africa. Occupational therapists employed by the Department of Health were randomised using matched-pair stratification by type (clinician or manager) and knowledge score. Allocation to an IE or a DE was by coin-tossing. A self-report questionnaire (measuring objective knowledge and subjective attitudes) and audit checklist (measuring objective behaviour) were completed at baseline and 12 weeks. The primary outcome was EBP knowledge at 12 weeks while secondary outcomes were attitudes and behaviour at 12 weeks. Data collection occurred at participants’ places of employment. Audit raters were blinded, but participants and the provider could not be blinded. Results: Twenty-one of 28 pairs reported outcomes, but due to incomplete data for two participants, 19 pairs were included in the analysis. There was a median increase of 1.0 points (95% CI = -4.0, 1.0) in the IE for the primary outcome (knowledge) compared with the DE, but this difference was not significant (P = 0.098). There were no significant differences on any of the attitude subscale scores. The median 12-week audit score was 8.6 points higher in the IE (95% CI = -7.7, 27.0) but this was not significant (P = 0.196). Within-group analyses showed significant increases in knowledge in both groups (IE: T = 4.0, P <0.001; DE: T = 12.0, P = 0.002) but no significant differences in attitudes or behaviour. Conclusions: The results suggest that the interventions had similar outcomes at 12 weeks and that the interactive component had little additional effect.
- ItemOpen AccessDivision of Occupational Therapy: self-review report for the HPCSA evaluation 2012(2012) Division of Occupational TherapyThe Division of Occupational Therapy welcomes the HPCSA evaluators and looks forward to constructive engagement towards the quality assurance of the UCT occupational therapy education programme. This self-review report was developed by the Division of Occupational Therapy (OT) at the University of Cape Town for the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) in line with the procedure for evaluation of education programmes. It provides transparency into the development and implementation of the OT curriculum. This resource could be useful for those interested in occupational therapy in South Africa.
- ItemOpen AccessEducation for All Week 4 - A careworker's perspective(2018-06-01) Jacobs, LouisaIn this video, Louisa Jacobs discusses her role as a rehabilitation careworker at St Joseph's Children's Home. She discusses how rehabilitation workers provides links between children, parents and the health system. She discusses some of the practical aspects of her work, such as providing physical and occupational therapy, providing transportation services, and providing links between different kinds of health service providers (such as speech and occupational therapists, doctors, and patients), financial support through feeding programmes and food parcel services, and community services such as churches and the police.
- ItemRestrictedEmbracing Cultural Diversity: Meaningful Engagement for Older Adults With Advanced Dementia in a Residential Care Setting(2018) Du Toit, Sanetta H J; Buchanan, HelenProviding person-centered care (PCC) that focuses on meaningful engagement in residential care settings for older adults with moderate to advanced dementia is an internationally recognized challenge. In this study, we aimed to identify best-practice scenarios for supporting older adults with moderate to advanced dementia from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who lived in care facilities. A mixed-methods study with a concurrent triangulation strategy was adopted. Data collection occurred with care partners by means of a preworkshop questionnaire, an appreciative-inquiry workshop, and an adapted Delphi technique. The findings indicate that care partners valued the care facilities’ residents’ needs for doing, being, and belonging. Collaborative data generation reflected the setting-specific PCC practices. Leadership team members agreed that enabling inclusion and celebrating cultural diversity were important but that cultural humility needed to be promoted.
- ItemOpen AccessFostering evidence-based practice in community-based rehabilitation: strategies for implementation(2015-08) Buchanan, Helen; Lorenzo, Theresa; Law, MaryOccupational therapists around the world are taking up the challenge to implement an evidence-based practice approach to the development of occupational therapy services. The emphasis in applying evidence-based practice within occupational therapy has been strongly biomedical in focus. In South Africa, many occupational therapists work in communities where their work is largely community-based rehabilitation. With no examples of how evidence-based practice can be applied in such settings, therapists have struggled with how it may be used to inform their practice. This paper explores the concepts of evidence-based practice and community-based rehabilitation, and illustrates how evidence-based practice can be applied within community-based rehabilitation. Examples are provided to show how evidence-based practice can realistically be applied in community-based rehabilitation programmes with the intention of empowering therapists to begin using evidence as a basis for their practice. It further explores how evidence-based practice can be used by occupational therapists to inform decision-making related to the development of community-based rehabilitation programmes and services.
- ItemOpen AccessThe impact of two modules on first year occupational therapy students’ knowledge and attitudes to the core constructs of occupation(2015-04) Green, Caryn; Hudson, Kerry; Wicht, Minkateko; Willows, Claire; Buchanan, HelenIntroduction: The first year occupational therapy course at the University of Cape Town focuses on developing an understanding of occupation. Two first semester modules form the foundation for this understanding. This study aimed to describe the impact of these modules on first year students’ knowledge of, and attitudes towards, the core constructs of occupation. Methodology: A pre-experimental one-group pre-test post-test design was used with a convenience sample recruited from the 2013 first year occupational therapy class. A self-administered questionnaire was developed for the study based on an extensive literature review and consultation with international occupational therapy experts. Data were gathered before and after participating in the modules. Content and construct validity, test-retest and inter-rater reliability were determined using the expert panel and a pilot test. Data were analysed with STATISTICA. Results: Forty-five (N=60) participants completed pre-test and post-test questionnaires and were included in the analysis. Knowledge improved significantly (p<0.001) between pre-test and post-test, and positive attitudinal changes were noted. Conclusion: Knowledge and attitudes improved after completing the modules suggesting that students were equipped with a sound foundational understanding of the core constructs of occupation.
- ItemMetadata onlyLower limb anatomy wiki(2014-09-17) Kelly-Laubscher, RoisinThe Lower Limb Wiki was created in 2011 as part of an Anatomy & Physiology class project for 1st year Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy students at the University of Cape Town. Each student wrote a Wiki page. The Lower Limb Wiki was created in 2011 as part of an Anatomy & Physiology class project for 1st year Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy students at the University of Cape Town. Each student wrote a wiki age. This site is now open to the public and as with any Wiki can be edited by non-members and members.
- ItemOpen AccessMedicine and the Arts Week 3 - Issues of mind, art and play(2015-01-21) Levine, SusanIn this video, Associate Professor Susan Levine introduces Elelwani Ramugondo, an occupational therapist, Mark Solms, a neuropsychologist, and Malika Ndlovu, an applied artist who all have different perspectives on the mind, art and play.
- ItemRestrictedNovice occupational therapists: Navigating complex practice contexts in South Africa(2019-01-30) Van Stormbroek, Kirsty; Buchanan, HelenBackground/aim: The transition from student to occupational therapy practitioner is challenging. In South Africa, this transition is undertaken in rural and underserved areas, as graduate health professionals are deployed by the government for a year of compulsory Community Service. This study set out to establish the characteristics of these practice settings, the resources available for occupational therapy services, the availability and quality of supervision, and participants’ perceived ability to communicate with their patients and negotiate cultural differences. Methods: A cross‐sectional survey design was utilised and a questionnaire was sent to all occupational therapists completing Community Service in 2013 (N = 240). Data were analysed using Stata 12 and IBM SPSS Statistics 21.0. Frequencies and percentages were calculated for categorical variables and associations tested with Odds Ratios and the Pearson's Chi square test. Responses to open‐ended questions were post‐coded. Results: A 44.3% (n = 103) response rate was achieved. Practice settings often provided few resources. Although most participants had supervisors (89.6%), many did not find supervision satisfactory (65.9%). Communication difficulties featured strongly (73.9%), but the majority of participants felt they possessed basic cultural competence. Conclusion: Participants worked within complex practice settings that were frequently resource‐restricted with less than satisfactory supervision. Practice required cultural competence and an ability to work across language barriers. Undergraduate curricula need to be tailored to equip new graduates to navigate these contextual realities. Furthermore, human resourcing strategies need to be evaluated and effective supervision and support structures need to be developed.
- ItemOpen AccessOccupation focused conceptual frameworks(2014-09-17) Ramafikeng, Matumo; Galvaan, Roshan; Van Niekerk, LanaConceptual frameworks are the core concepts of occupational therapy thinking used in practice by occupational therapy students, therapists and scientists. This module is a continuation of what students have covered in second year study at the University of Cape Town where they covered generic conceptual frameworks. This OT-focused module is therefore aimed at such users and occupational therapy training institutions that could make use of the information contained in this module.
- ItemMetadata onlyOccupation-based Community Development Framework(2014-08-21) Galvaan, Roshan; Peters, LieslThis is a free guide to practice for occupational therapists intending to apply critical occupational therapy. It provides an outline for occupational therapists to practice in community development from an occupational and development perspective. This resource provides an introductory framework for occupation-based community development for occupational therapy students and practitioners. It outlines the iterative phases of intervention and illustrates how this is applied by means of a case study. Since the resource is based on on-going research by the authors, further detail will be added in the form of articles that detail how the occupational constructs have been re-conceptualised and strategies applied to ensure contextually relevant practice.
- ItemOpen AccessOccupational therapy hand assessment practices: Cause for concern?(2015-08) De Klerk, Susan; Buchanan, Helen; Pretorius, BlancheIntroduction: Assessment is critical for measuring improvement, or lack thereof, and demonstrating the outcome of intervention. In response to the lack of research in this area, this study aimed to determine the assessment practices of occupational therapists working with clients with hand conditions. Methods: A quantitative cross sectional survey design was used. A convenience sample of occupational therapists was recruited from five provinces. Respondents completed a questionnaire developed for the study that comprised demographic information, assessments used, frequency of use and factors influencing assessment choice. Data were analysed with Statistica version 11. Results: Eighty-one respondents (n=114) completed questionnaires representing a 71% response rate. Goniometry (84.0%), manual muscle testing (76.5%) and testing for flexor tendon function (76.3%) were used most frequently. The most common reasons for not using assessments were lack of availability and unfamiliarity. Conclusion: It is of concern that the assessment practices of participants in this study focussed primarily on the assessment of body function and structure with few therapists using activity and participation measures. This could seriously limit the evidence needed to verify the outcomes achieved through occupational therapy intervention in the treatment of hand conditions.
- ItemOpen AccessPerceptions of mental health care users on the contribution of the interactive groupwork model in occupational therapy groups to their recovery(2018) Davidson, Shanay; Duncan, Madeleine; Ramafikeng, MatumoBackground Mental health disorders account for a significant portion of the burden of disease in South Africa and places a substantial strain on the national mental health care system. Mental health care policy and service trends advocate for client-centred practices, whereby the needs and perspectives of the population being served are taken into account in the design and delivery of interventions. Mental health disorders affect people’s performance of and participation in the occupations of daily life. The profession of occupational therapy (OT) values clientcentred practice and seeks to offer interventions that are closely aligned with the occupational and related recovery concerns of mental health care users (MHCUs). The Interactive Groupwork Model (IGM) is an unpublished, South African OT model that is used to guide groupwork interventions in mental health care settings. It serves as the basis for a position statement on the role and scope of the profession in groupwork issued by the Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa (OTASA, 2014). Research Problem To date there is little literature documenting service users’ perspectives on groupwork in occupational therapy within the South African context. In particular, there is no published South African research in occupational therapy regarding mental health service users’ (MHCU) perspectives on the contribution of groups run according to the IGM to their recovery. Research Purpose This study contributes to the refinement of the Interactive Groupwork Model as one of a number of approaches to groupwork used by occupational therapists in South Africa. The information gained from the research will assist in creating relevant group based programmes for mental health care users who get admitted to mental health services where occupational therapy groups based on the IGM are offered. Research Question How do mental health care users perceive the contribution of the IGM to their recovery? Research Aim To describe the perspectives of users of mental health services about the contribution of IGM used in occupational therapy, to their recovery within a specialised psychiatric unit. Research Objectives Describe the perspectives of MHCU’s on the benefits of IGM for their recovery Describe the perspectives of MHCU’s on the limitations of IGM for their recovery Describe the recommendations of MHCU’s on the refinement of the IGM iv Research Design & Methodology A descriptive qualitative design positioned in a social constructivist paradigm guided the study methodology. Purposive maximum variation sampling was used. Data was collected using semi structured interviews with seven mental health care users during an eight or twelve-week admission period, at different stages of their recovery and community re-entry. Data was audio recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis enabled the opinions of informants to be subcategorised and categorised. Ethical principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy and justice were upheld throughout the research process. Findings Participants’ perspectives on the contribution of occupational therapy groups using the IGM to their recovery was reflected in a single theme: “helping me to navigate life while living with my illness”. The theme was supported by two categories: “learning though the group space” and “learning that the journey is never over”. The learning that occurred in each category was supported by five sub-categories, each reflecting a dimension of how IGM based occupational therapy groups helped participants towards recovery: “engaging in the activity”, “participating in the group process”, “experiencing the group structure”, “recognising personal shifts” and “acknowledging stuckness”. Conclusion The research provided practice based evidence of service user perspectives on occupational therapy groupwork using the IGM. The IGM is beneficial as a change modality as it assists MHCUs with self-learning and addresses the interpersonal aspect of recovery during the acute intervention phase. With refinements considering the occupational human, and embracing the recovery philosophy, the IGM may offer greater value to MHCUs by addressing broader occupational engagement concerns that extend post discharge. The relevance of the IGM to the post discharge recovery of MHCU warrants attention if occupational therapy is to play a role in supporting MHCUs to live meaningful and productive lives through occupation. Recovery from serious mental illness is a complex lifelong process that is facilitated when health care professionals collaborate with MHCUs. Revisions to the OTASA position statement are suggested in an attempt to ensure that the OTASA position statement on groupwork represents a broader understanding of groupwork in the profession and specifically in mental health.
- ItemOpen AccessPractice-based evidence: evaluating the quality of occupational therapy patient records as evidence for practice(2016-04) Buchanan, Helen; Jelsma, Jennifer; Siegfried, NandiBackground: Occupational therapy patient records are required for legal purposes, but may also be used to produce evidence for practice. Our aim was to establish how comprehensively occupational therapists documented patient records. Methodology: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study of occupational therapists at public health facilities in a South African province. Trained raters audited five randomly-drawn records per participant using a checklist developed for the study. The maximum possible score was nine and the lowest was zero. Audits were checked for consistency. Results: Forty-nine occupational therapists participated and 240 records were audited. Records contained information on intervention (96%) and changes occurring at impairment (82%) and activity and participation levels (64%). Documentation of baseline assessment (impairment level: 20%; activity and participation level: 10.4%) and re-assessment (impairment level: 7%; activity and participation level: 0.0%) was limited. Audit scores were significantly better in the work practice area (H=16.10, p=0.003) and among therapists in urban areas (U=24.50, p<0.001).There was a significant negative correlation between audit score and number of clients seen per month (rs=-0.46, p<0.001). Conclusion: The low audit scores suggest that the records did not contain sufficient information to produce robust evidence. Manageable ways of documenting occupational therapy practice need to be devised.
- ItemOpen AccessThe upper limb anatomy wiki(2014-09-22) Kelly-Laubscher, RoisinThe Upper Limb Wiki was created in 2010 as part of an Anatomy & Physiology class project for 1st year Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy students at the University of Cape Town. It is a comprehensive resource looking at the anatomy of the upper limb in human physiology. Each student involved in the course wrote a wiki page and two Physiotherapy students worked over their vacations to improve the Wiki.