The Allied Health Scholar最新文献

{"title":"Sexuality and rehabilitation needs following traumatic motor vehicle injuries: Client and clinician perspectives","authors":"C. Fulton, Kylie Smith, C. Barr, Stacey George","doi":"10.21913/tahs.v4i2.1652","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21913/tahs.v4i2.1652","url":null,"abstract":"Aim and Background: Sexuality is an important aspect of being human, and is affected for people following trauma injuries. This study aimed to examine how sexuality is addressed during rehabilitation following traumatic motor vehicle injuries and to identify barriers to provision of this service. Methods: A convergent mixed methods approach with concurrent timing and an independent level of interaction was used to examine the perspectives and experiences of clients and clinicians towards addressing sexuality. A questionnaire was completed by eligible clients (n = 21) and semi-structured interviews (n = 10) were conducted with clinicians.  Questionnaire data were analysed using descriptive statistics (frequency, means and SD) to provide an outline of sociodemographic and injury related information. Interview data from clinicians were analysed thematically. Results: Sexuality was described as being impacted for over half of clients. One third reported that sexuality was addressed as part of their rehabilitation. Core themes identified from the interviews of clinicians included: (1) ‘whole person’ approach, (2) timing, delivery and responsibility of discussions, (3) culture and comfort, and (4) future tools and skill sets. Conclusion: Clinicians and clients agreed that sexuality was important but inadequately addressed during rehabilitation. Clinicians were lacking comfort, training and resources to address sexuality consistently with clients. Sexuality should be addressed at multiple stages of rehabilitation to grant service-users the option for these discussions to occur.","PeriodicalId":289045,"journal":{"name":"The Allied Health Scholar","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126685405","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Return to work following traumatic brain injury: An exploration of using the Brannagan Executive Functions Assessment to increase self-awareness in practice","authors":"F. Mason, Stacey George, J. Pryor","doi":"10.21913/tahs.v4i2.1656","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21913/tahs.v4i2.1656","url":null,"abstract":"Aim and Background: The Brannagan Executive Functions Assessment is an occupation-based approach for increasing self-awareness. This study explores the application of the Brannagan Executive Functions Assessment in traumatic brain injury return to work intervention. It describes changes in self-awareness, goal achievement and perspectives of occupational therapy and people with brain injury. Methods: Case study design using a mixed-methods approach: with pre-post evaluation of outcomes and semi-structured interviews. Participants with traumatic brain injury completed the assessment with two occupational tasks related to return to work. Primary outcomes were self-awareness (Self-awareness Deficits Interview and Awareness Questionnaire) and Goal performance/satisfaction using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. Mood was a secondary outcome. Analysis was descriptive for quantitative data, thematic for qualitative data. Results: Two participants with brain injury, two support people and one occupational therapist were recruited. One participant with brain injury had an increase in self-awareness scores. Brain injury participants and the occupational therapist identified benefits including an increased awareness of needing to incorporate planning to meet goals. Conclusion:  The Brannagan Executive Functions Assessment offers benefits to practice in brain injury rehabilitation, facilitating a structured occupational approach to self-awareness and participation in meaningful return to work tasks.","PeriodicalId":289045,"journal":{"name":"The Allied Health Scholar","volume":"41 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130101134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Current status of research literature in the area of Well-being in Early Childhood","authors":"P. G. Morato-Espino","doi":"10.21913/tahs.v4i2.1650","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21913/tahs.v4i2.1650","url":null,"abstract":"Early childhood is an important period in a child’s development. Despite the advances in child well-being research in the past decade, there are notably fewer studies involving young children, and even fewer ones where children are active participants. This mini-review summarises recently published work on the study of well-being in early childhood and provides recommendations on the future direction of research in this area. Most research on early childhood well-being is related to health promotion and parenting. These studies define well-being varyingly and employ diverse instruments to measure it. Only one study necessitated the active participation of children. Recommendations include operationally defining well-being, more research developing instruments and methods to measure well-being specifically for young children and including the active participation of children in well-being research regardless of age.","PeriodicalId":289045,"journal":{"name":"The Allied Health Scholar","volume":"174 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122046442","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Profile of Occupational Therapy in Australian Education","authors":"Georgia Pozorski, Matthew Macbeth, S. Gilbert-Hunt, K. Boshoff","doi":"10.21913/tahs.v4i1.1636","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21913/tahs.v4i1.1636","url":null,"abstract":"There is growing evidence for the need for occupational therapists in government-funded primary schools and preschools across Australia. Anecdotally and through some evidence sources, such as documented school policies and an international mapping review conducted in 2019 (Boshoff, Bowen and Gilbert-Hunt), it is evident that there are inconsistencies surrounding the role of occupational therapists across the different states and territories. In order to enable advocacy and further development of the roles, we aimed to establish a clear description of the role of occupational therapy in education, through collaboration with key stakeholders and information gathering from occupational therapists around Australia. \u0000As part of a student project, we gathered information from representatives from each state and territory, utilised existing documentation and worked with a steering group to consolidate the information and develop a summary report describing the role of occupational therapy in Australian education. We gathered information about the employment and funding of occupational therapists in schools, the service delivery models used, strengths of certain models and the challenges facing occupational therapists in schools. \u0000As primary outcome of this project, we provide a description of the occupational therapy role in Australian government-funded preschools and primary schools. The information gathered highlights the variation in occupational therapy presence, employment and service delivery across states and territories in Australia. It is evident that the majority of states and territories lack easily accessible documentation of the occupational therapy presence, employment and service delivery models. Key strengths and challenges were identified. Various recommendations are made for the profession and education communities to further progress the role in education nation-wide.","PeriodicalId":289045,"journal":{"name":"The Allied Health Scholar","volume":"20 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132291292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Collaborative Practices in Early Childhood Intervention: the case for explicitly striving for maximal participation of families","authors":"Carla Ribeiro Lage, Jacqui Snider","doi":"10.21913/tahs.v3i2.1626","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21913/tahs.v3i2.1626","url":null,"abstract":"Early Childhood Intervention aims to empower parents and children to become confident and competent in independently finding solutions to everyday life challenges. Therapists have only the best intentions in their practice; however, in their eagerness to help, they may be unknowingly disempowering parents when taking ownership of the intervention. The purpose of this opinion paper is to encourage and inspire therapists to pause, reflect, and reconsider the significance of parent-therapist partnerships and the use of a coach approach for implementing Family-Centred Best Practice. Based on clinical and research experiences in Early Childhood Intervention, the authors believe that therapists need to further develop communication and interpersonal skills so that they can empower parents in the same way they empower children. When therapists are trained to implement collaborative practices, they may feel less pressure to have all the answers and be primarily responsible for supporting children's development and functioning. Collaborative practices such as coaching can help therapists establish a respectful, equitable, and complementary partnership with parents, transforming “power over” relationships into “power with” relationships. This change can be more rewarding and satisfying for everyone involved. Providing best practice interventions often requires therapists to constantly focus on their therapeutic expertise. Yet, the effectiveness of interventions for children and their families can also be significantly improved if therapists refine how they deliver their services. Parents play a key role in the successful intervention of their children; therefore, to achieve sustainable long-term therapy goals, it is necessary to understand how to communicate with, relate to, and coach parents effectively.","PeriodicalId":289045,"journal":{"name":"The Allied Health Scholar","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129053200","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring South Australian trends in Pre-schoolers’ Development and School Readiness from Preschool Directors’ Perspectives","authors":"Alessia Pivato, K. Boshoff, S. Seekamp","doi":"10.21913/tahs.v3i2.1624","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21913/tahs.v3i2.1624","url":null,"abstract":"Background: South Australian preschool educators report anecdotally they perceive changes in children’s development over the past decade, and consequently, changes in children’s school readiness, also evidenced by Australian Education Development Census (AEDC, 2018) data. This honours study describes the profile of South Australian children’s development and school readiness, based on the perceptions of preschool directors. The study explores the understandings of school readiness and its relationship with developmental delay. \u0000Methods: An online questionnaire was developed, guided by literature in the child development field, and was reviewed, piloted and validated by experts. In total, 405 directors from the South Australian Department for Education-funded preschools, were invited to take part. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and content analysis.  \u0000Results: Out of 103 returned questionnaires (25.4% response rate), the majority were preschool directors with over 15 years’ experience as director and/or working with children in any field. The majority (80%) of participants agreed there has been an increase in the number of children diagnosed with, or observed to have developmental delay, over the past decade. Directors commonly defined school readiness as a developmental status of the child, with others extending this concept to add the primary school’s readiness to receive the child. The majority (82%) acknowledged children with signs of developmental delay are at risk of not being “school ready”. Factors affecting children’s development have been identified. \u0000Conclusions: From this study, it is evident that over the past decade, experienced preschool directors have indicated South Australian children’s development to decline. These delays are impacting on their readiness to transition into the formal school system. Practical implications include the need for urgent support for these children to ensure they are ready to transition to school and to engage optimally in their learning.","PeriodicalId":289045,"journal":{"name":"The Allied Health Scholar","volume":"3 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129812973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Group coaching intervention with parents of children with autism spectrum disorder in Brazil – a pilot study","authors":"Luisa Aragão, Izabela Lambertucci, Carla Lage, Phoebe Lovell, Ana Amélia Cardoso","doi":"10.21913/tahs.v3i2.1625","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21913/tahs.v3i2.1625","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Caring for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) entails changes in family dynamics. In Brazil, the journey from diagnosis to treatment is characterized by several barriers. Families and their children can be empowered to achieve occupational performance goals through parental coaching interventions. There is, however, limited national evidence on coaching interventions designed to support this population. Aim: This pilot study examines the effects of a coaching intervention program on the occupational performance of Brazilian children with ASD and their families. Methods: A single-subject experimental design was used to conduct group coaching sessions with 16 caregivers over ten weekly sessions. The intervention was designed following the principles of Occupational Performance Coaching (OPC) and was conducted in a group setting to address the economic constraints of the Brazilian health system. The assessment tools adopted were the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and the Developmental History Questionnaire, developed by the authors. During group coaching intervention sessions, occupational performance in the home environment and the efficacy of strategies developed in collaboration with caregivers were observed and discussed. Ultimately, the COPM goals were reassessed by the participants. Results: The average difference for COPM performance and satisfaction scores indicated significant changes, demonstrating that the group coaching intervention improved the participants' occupational performance. Caregivers reported a broader understanding of ASD and its implications for their children's daily lives. In addition, they have enhanced problem-solving skills and reported increased sense of self-efficacy and competence. Application and Conclusion: This pilot study has contributed to the literature on using group coaching interventions to increase the occupational performance of participating children and their families. Our findings indicate that the use of OPC principles is promising in Brazil. These initial findings can encourage further research in this emerging intervention approach and support family-centred interventions in paediatric occupational therapy in Brazil.","PeriodicalId":289045,"journal":{"name":"The Allied Health Scholar","volume":"19 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127752677","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using clinical audits in complex Allied Health interventions: challenges, barriers, and application – our experience applied in service delivery for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder","authors":"S. Weeks, K. Boshoff, S. Milanese, Hugh Stewart, K. Grimmer","doi":"10.21913/tahs.v3i1.1619","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21913/tahs.v3i1.1619","url":null,"abstract":"This paper discusses the use of retrospective clinical audits in complex Allied Health interventions, specifically based on our experience of designing and trialling a clinical audit in one service delivery area of occupational therapy (i.e., occupational therapy for sensory needs of children with autism spectrum disorder). Covered in our discussion is the application considerations of conducting an audit as external auditors to service organisations, however, lessons learnt can be applied to other Allied Health service delivery contexts as well. We encourage Allied Health professionals and researchers to utilise clinical audits as foundation of decision-making and especially for further research in areas with limited efficacy- and effectiveness-based research.","PeriodicalId":289045,"journal":{"name":"The Allied Health Scholar","volume":"24 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132492592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Thumb Proprioception in Hypermobile and Non-Hypermobile Adults: An Observational Study","authors":"L. Fonseka, N. Massy-Westropp, S. Milanese, A. Burlakoti","doi":"10.21913/tahs.v2i2.1606","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21913/tahs.v2i2.1606","url":null,"abstract":"Aims and Background \u0000Hypermobility is a common presentation in the community and is reported related to higher rates of injury and musculoskeletal pain, however the mechanism underpinning this relationship remains unclear. Poor proprioception in hypermobile joints has been proposed as a potential mechanism. This study aims to determine if there is a difference in proprioceptive acuity, as measured by joint position reproduction, in adults with generalised joint hypermobility. \u0000Design and methods \u0000A convenience sample of 26 university students and staff (mean age 29.23 years, range 18-47) were recruited, of which 12 participants displayed generalised joint hypermobility, and 14 did not. A laser light, mounted to the dominant thumb, was used to test joint position reproduction sense by pointing to targets using a unilateral active-active position reproduction protocol. \u0000Results/Findings \u0000Test reliability across a range of targets was poor to good (intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.1163 to 0.7256), indicating significant variability between participants. No significant differences was found in absolute angle of error between generalised joint hypermobility and non-generalised joint hypermobility participants. For direction of error in relation to the proprioceptive targets, only 30° thumb extension above horizontal was found to be significantly different between the hypermobile and non-hypermobile groups, with hypermobile participants tending to underestimate distance to target. Age and sex were not correlated to thumb proprioception. \u0000Application and Conclusion \u0000The difference found in direction of error and tendency to underestimate angular distance may be protective against straying into possibly injurious end-ranges; however, larger studies are recommended to confirm this.","PeriodicalId":289045,"journal":{"name":"The Allied Health Scholar","volume":"2 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116878866","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Narrative Thematic Study of the Impact of International Placement Experience on Graduate Occupational Therapy Practice","authors":"Olivia Levitt, S. Gilbert-Hunt, A. Baker, K. Boshoff","doi":"10.21913/tahs.v2i2.1594","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21913/tahs.v2i2.1594","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract\u0000Aim and Background: Globally, there is movement towards the internationalisation of allied health care. Many universities across the globe are offering international student placements as part of the movement to create therapists equipped to participate in a dynamic, borderless environment.  This narrative study sought to contribute to the developing body of knowledge exploring these longer-term impacts. Design and Methods: Seven occupational therapy graduates who completed an international placement as part of their studies were recruited. Narrative data were gathered via in-depth semi-structured interviews, and thematically analysed by coding and grouping similar concepts to develop themes. Results: The overarching themes were the influence of international placement on participants’ paths and practice as therapists. Sub-themes included developing relationships, representing occupational therapy, working with interpreters, cultural sensitivity and empathy, reflective practice, resourcefulness and autonomy. Conclusion: The study identifies ongoing impact of international student placement on occupational therapy practice. Participants gained a rangeof experiences during their time overseas that has influenced their practice as therapists. Future studies would provide further knowledge to inform universities and students of the benefits of undertaking international student placements.\u0000Keywords: international educational exchange, professional practice, professional competence\u0000","PeriodicalId":289045,"journal":{"name":"The Allied Health Scholar","volume":"140 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116452438","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}