Potential Role Of Occupational Therapy Research Articles

The potential role of occupational therapy in the treatment of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder.

Most individuals with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) never receive treatment, and treatment needs far exceed the current capacity of mental health services. Occupational therapy (OT) focuses on enhancing function in daily activities, including eating and feeding. Given OT's rich history in mental health and pediatric feeding disorder treatment, we spotlight the potential role of OT in ARFID treatment, current knowledge, and opportunities for future research. Through a preliminary exploratory inquiry involving a review of current literature and clinical practice, we investigated OT's current involvement, knowledge, and interprofessional collaborative practice gaps in ARFID treatment. While many occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) engage in ARFID treatment, interventions lack rigorous evaluation, and there is limited evidence defining OT's distinct role in interprofessional ARFID treatment. OTPs are uniquely positioned to provide interventions for individuals with ARFID across the lifespan, though research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of OT interventions. Future research suggestions include standardizing OT approaches to ARFID treatment and conducting single-case experiments and randomized controlled trials to compare OT approaches with alternative methods. Recommendations to address practice gaps include enhancing ARFID education for OT students and practitioners and fostering a greater understanding of OT's role on the interprofessional team. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: Individuals with ARFID face barriers to eating that impact their health and function. On a multidisciplinary team, OTPs can treat diverse client populations by identifying and addressing barriers to daily participation, such as physical impairments, trauma history, and environmental barriers. More research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of OT practices in ARFID treatment.

The impact of surviving bowel cancer on occupation: A scoping review

Introduction The number of people surviving bowel cancer is increasing globally, with many of those affected living with long-term psychological and physical sequelae that potentially disrupt occupations. Method A scoping review – guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework – was conducted to provide an overview of what is known about the impact of having had bowel cancer on occupations, and to reveal the potential role of occupational therapy. A systematic search of four databases and a grey literature repository generated 244 results. Applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 33 items addressing bowel cancer and occupations were selected and thematically analysed. Results Researchers have identified six domains of occupation that are impacted by bowel cancer (social activity, physical activity, sexual activity, employment and role functioning, physical functioning, and self-care) but survivors report a distinct lack of health professional support after completion of medical treatment and being left to devise self-management strategies to accommodate the long-term effects of their cancer. Conclusion The sequelae of bowel cancer can have a significant impact on occupational participation. There is scope for increasing and improving occupational therapy input to assist people with cancer-related loss of function to re-engage in valued occupations and improve wellbeing.

Opportunities for Occupational Therapy on a Primary Care Team.

Leaders in the occupational therapy profession have called for occupational therapy's inclusion in primary care, but little is known about the occupational needs of patients in this setting. To explore the need for and potential role of occupational therapy in a team-based primary care clinic. A qualitative descriptive study using a convenience sample of clinicians and patients. Meetings and semistructured interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded by multiple coders using a general immersion-crystallization approach to identify relevant themes. Outpatient complex care clinic of an urban academic medical center. The study included a voluntary sample of clinicians and patients from the complex care clinic. Patients were recruited from a staff-provided list; eligible patients had attended the clinic for at least 1 yr. All patients had multiple chronic conditions and were uninsured or received Medicaid. Researchers attended 10 clinician team meetings and conducted 13 patient interviews and 10 clinician interviews. Four domains of patient need were identified by both patients and clinicians: complex medical management, patients' limited resources, mental health needs, and challenges to occupation. Clinicians also identified cognitive-behavioral challenges affecting care, including lack of engagement and poor problem solving. The makeup of the clinic team reflected their intent to address medical, socioeconomic, and mental health domains. However, cognitive-behavioral challenges and patients' occupational limitations were not consistently addressed. Thus, patients had unmet needs that occupational therapy practitioners were qualified to address. This study adds to the available literature examining patient needs and clinician challenges in a primary care clinic. Patients have occupational needs that are not being addressed in primary care, indicating a need for occupational therapy in this setting.

Addressing Sex in Occupational Therapy: A Coconstructed Autoethnography.

Occupational therapy practitioners generally agree that sex is a meaningful occupation and should be part of the rehabilitation process; however, there has been reluctance to include clients' sexual concerns in practice. To explore how occupational therapy is addressing clients' sexual concerns, we (one author with a professional background in occupational therapy and the other who is a consumer of occupational therapy services) used a coconstructed autoethnographic approach that involved shared reflection between us. We discuss insights discovered through the coconstructed process, including the potential health risks involved in sexual activity, the importance of sexuality as a core aspect of identity, the ways that rehabilitation currently excludes sexuality, and the potential role of occupational therapy in addressing sexuality.

Unintentional injury prevention and the role of occupational therapy in the Solomon Islands: an integrative review

Unintentional injuries (injuries for which there is no evidence of a predetermined intent) are one of the leading causes of death worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Although evidence demonstrates unintentional injuries are preventable it is a public health challenge for many LMICs such as the Solomon Islands. Occupational therapists are well placed to contribute to injury prevention, as they have specialised skills to analyse the accessibility and safety of the environments within which people conduct their daily occupations. While the role of occupational therapy in unintentional injury prevention is well known in high-income countries, it is unfamiliar in LMICs, especially in the Solomon Islands. This integrative review aimed to explore the incidence of common unintentional injuries, and the burden in the Solomon Islands; and explore the potential role of occupational therapy in unintentional injury prevention in the Solomon Islands, based on current activities in LMICs. Articles were reviewed from six databases (Medline, CINAHL, OTDBase, OT Seeker, Scopus and PsychInfo). Five articles met the inclusion criteria for the first objective and 15 articles met the inclusion criteria for the second objective. These articles were thematically analysed where themes and codes associated with the research objectives were extracted and analysed. Unintentional injuries in the Solomon Islands reported in the literature included ocular trauma, falls from fruit trees and coconut palms, and road traffic crashes. Burden of injury reported was mostly associated with loss of productivity. Occupational therapists undertook rehabilitative, biomechanical, neurodevelopmental and educational roles in LMIC, focusing on tertiary and secondary injury prevention. This integrative review suggests that there is limited information regarding injury in the Solomon Islands. However, evidence is available in LMICs to suggest that occupational therapy services can play a potential significant role in unintentional injury prevention, demonstrating a need for establishing injury prevention within the occupational therapy role in the Solomon Islands.

Shaped by place: Environmental influences on the participation of young cyclists from disadvantaged communities in professional cycling

OBJECTIVE: The Cycling Club provides opportunities for young cyclists from disadvantaged communities to participate in cycling on a professional level. Little literature exists that explores the potential role of occupational therapy in the field of professional sport. This qualitative study explored the influence that environmental factors had on the experience of participation of professional cyclists from disadvantaged communities. METHOD: A collective case study design was applied using photovoice and unstructured interviews as methods of data generation with three of the professional cyclists. Other sources of data generation included a focus group held with the team and a key informant interview held with the team coach. RESULTS: The findings present themes from each participant's unique story reflecting the environmental influences on their experience of participation in cycling. It also includes themes from the team coach's perspective on the structure of cycling teams and team dynamics DISCUSSION: This section draws on a cross case analysis of the findings which is contextualised through the application of the International Classification of Function's list of environmental factors. Environmental factors discussed are products and technology; the natural environment; appreciating supportive relationships and attitudes and the relevance of services, systems and policies. CONCLUSION: This study offers a fresh perspective from conventional sporting interventions by focussing on the influence of the environment on sporting performance rather than attempting to improve sporting performance. It is evident that the significance of the environment should be considered more carefully by coaching staff as it could ultimately improve performance of cyclists who come from disadvantaged communities. Taking an occupational perspective, this article highlights the potential contribution of occupational therapy in the field of professional cycling. Key words: Cycling, environment, International Classification of Function, participation, youth

Occupational Therapy: A Potentially Valuable Intervention for People with Primary Sjögren's Syndrome

Primary Sjögren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease characterised by dry eyes and mouth. Chronic fatigue is one of the most prevalent and debilitating symptoms and people are more likely to have reduced functioning and wellbeing. Occupational therapy is not routinely offered to people with this condition. In this opinion piece, the literature on the difficulties in occupational performance that people with this condition may experience is reviewed, using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure as a framework to explore how self-care, productivity and leisure may be affected. The potential role of occupational therapy as an intervention is then discussed.

Occupational Therapists' Perceptions of Their Role with People Who are Homeless

Introduction: The needs of individuals who are homeless are often unmet. This study identifies the potential role of occupational therapy with adults who are homeless. Method: This was a qualitative study of occupational therapists working in Montreal, Québec, Canada, consisting of two survey modes: focus group and self-administered questionnaires. A moderate inductive strategy was used in the analysis of the responses. Findings: Twenty-two occupational therapists participated. The traditional roles of assessing, treating and conducting research were discussed, as well as the emerging role of occupational therapists as case managers, outreach workers and advocates. The challenges to implementing services included health care structures and processes. The potential facilitators included active leadership and advocacy by occupational therapists regarding the needs of those who are homeless. Implications: There is a clear and pertinent role for occupational therapy services with those who are homeless. The traditional process of service delivery presents challenges that must be addressed. The topic of homelessness and role-emerging practice placements with this population should be included in the occupational therapy curriculum.

Fueling the Engines: A Role for Occupational Therapy in Promoting Healthy Life Transitions

This article explores the potential role of occupational therapy in promoting healthy life transitions among people without illness or disease, The story of Roxana, a woman who moved with her family from Mexico to the United States, is described. The many transitions Roxana experienced are examined using the Person-Environment-Occupation Model. Implications for practice focus on assessment and intervention strategies that can help practitioners and individuals experiencing transitions use occupation to prevent illness and promote health.

The role of occupational therapy in providing person‐centred transition services: implications for school‐based practice

Two case study vignettes are presented to demonstrate the potential role of occupational therapy in the provision of person-centred transition services. Related to the study, the five aspects of performance described by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA): performance skills, performance patterns, client factors, activity demands, and contexts, are examined. Based on the results of the study, the following suggestions are offered for incorporating person-centred principles into school-based occupational therapy service delivery. These are: (1) increasing the number and variety of community places students know and use; (2) assisting students in developing and expressing autonomy in both everyday and life-defining matters; (3) building experiences and supports so students can perform functional, age-appropriate, and meaningful activities; (4) ensuring that students develop valued roles and places in community life; and (5) creating access for students to the social network of community and ensuring the development of personal relationships and friendships. Since the transition experiences of only two students are presented in an anecdotal fashion rather than through more formal quantitative or qualitative research the results are limited and further research is recommended.

The potential role of occupational therapy in acute care with clients with HIV/AIDS

AbstractAs medical interventions aimed at prolonging the lives of people with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) are implemented, HIV/AIDS is evolving into a chronic disease with associated disability. People with HIV/AIDS can experience numerous occupational performance problems and occupational therapists need to examine and develop their role in helping to meet the needs of this population. Acute‐care occupational therapists work with clients with HIV/AIDS who experience multiple admissions and who present with varying levels of occupational function. This paper outlines the potential role of occupational therapy in acute care with clients with HIV/AIDS using the Model of Occupational Performance (Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, 1991) as a conceptual framework. The results of a retrospective chart review that investigated the role of two occupational therapists working with clients with HIV/AIDS in an acute‐care setting are presented and compared with the potential role. Practice and research recommendations to address the discrepancies between the potential and present role are presented. Copyright © 1998 Whurr Publishers Ltd.

Occupational Therapy With Willie M. Children

The purpose of this investigation was to trace the evolution of the Willie M. lawsuit and to assess the potential for occupational therapy involvement in provision of services. Key informant interviews were conducted to ascertain the types of services needed and the mechanisms for service delivery. It was determined that under the state and federal laws that guarantee appropriate treatment and education for the emotionally disturbed, occupational therapy services are included as mandated related services, but, at this time, are not mandated by the Willie M. suit stipulations. All key informants endorsed occupational therapy involvement with the Willie M. program, but their understanding of the potential role of occupational therapy was incomplete. Recommendations for occupational therapy involvement are made, including treatment techniques, coordination/management/consultation for services, and approaches for implementation of occupational therapy programs.