PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES
BJOT
NEXT ISSUE
Our August issue begins with the inaugural editorial from our new editorin-chief,
Rod Lambert, who officially took over handling of the journal in
January this year. This editorial outlines his vision for our development and
strategy over the next few years, in particular our drive to raise the average
level of evidence of papers published in BJOT and ensure that research
published in BJOT is as widely accessible as possible.
This is a real time of change for BJOT, and we encourage feedback
and comments on our strategy – the journal seeks to keep an open
dialogue with our readers and we always welcome your thoughts.
Following on from editorials published in our January and July issues,
we are also keen to hear from service users on how they engage with
BJOT research and what the journal might be able to do to assist the
future embedding of service users in research.
In this issue we have two editor’s choice articles. The first of these,
by Beveridge and Pentland, is a mapping review of models of practice
education in allied health and social care professions. Reviewing 53
papers, they categorised 14 different models for practice education that
exist, however concluded that the evidence for their effectiveness is
limited.
Our second, by Popova et al, assesses the reliability and validity of
the Paediatric Clinical Assessment of Modes in outpatient paediatric
rehabilitation, using these to rate 125 therapist-child interactions by overall
and individual communication mode use according to the Intentional
Relationship Model. This study supports its validity and reliability in
paediatric outpatient rehabilitation.
Continuing the issue, Garrido et al have published a study protocol
for early non-invasive brain stimulation with modified constraint-induced
movement therapy for motor and functional upper limb recovery in stroke
patients. This will be a randomised, double-blind, sham-controlled trial of
the therapy to investigate whether it could improve motor and functional
recovery, following seven days of continuous therapy post-stroke for
patients over 18.
Following on from this article, on the topic of stroke rehabilitation, Wales
et al have looked at rehabilitation outcomes in children who are falsely
believed to have improved recovery compared to adult patients, but can
suffer lifelong disability following childhood stroke.
While many showed improvements in independence following
rehabilitation, a proportion of the sample in this study had ongoing selfcare
support needs that occupational therapists and care teams should
be ready to address.
The final article in the August issue is a retrospective cross-sectional
study by Sawada et al, which examines the routine use proportion and
factors determining the use of the Canadian Occupational Performance
Measure (COPM) in the real-world subacute rehabilitation setting of a
subacute Japanese rehabilitation ward in 2017. The COPM was applied in
37 per cent of included cases, with factors identified determining its use.
Visit BJOT via your member login at: www.rcot.co.uk.
New digital tool launched
for stroke survivors with
communication difficulties
As many as 350,000 stroke survivors with aphasia, a
common communication disability, are at greater risk of
becoming lonelier and more isolated during the COVID-19
pandemic, according to the Stroke Association.
While people across the UK have been able to keep
in touch with their loved ones thanks to technology,
the charity is now highlighting the struggle that stroke
survivors with aphasia face getting online.
Last month the charity launched the Getting online
for people with aphasia guide, which aims to help
equip stroke survivors who have aphasia with the skills
they need to get online and use tools, such as Skype,
WhatsApp, Facebook and Zoom, so they can keep
in touch with family and friends, and enable stroke
survivors to connect with the stroke survivor community.
This new digital guide contains helpful information
and step-by-step guidance on how to get online and
search the internet. The guide uses aphasia-friendly text,
supported by pictures and key words. It can be used
with a text reader and covers the use of many devices;
computer, laptop, tablet and smart phone.
Pat Sweetingham, aged 57, had a stroke in June
2003, which left her with aphasia and epilepsy. She
says: ‘Aphasia can feel like an invisible disability. I can
talk, but I couldn’t write and reading is hard… Simple
tasks like getting the bus, following directions, or
ordering coffee were challenging, but have improved
over time.’
Pat accepts that ‘technology will not be for everyone
and some people will need extra support to use it’. She
adds: ‘People with aphasia have smaller social circles
and lockdown has taken away many of their support
lifelines, like the gym, grandkids or their stroke groups.
They have no one to talk to and have been cut off from
their normal support.’
Kamini Gadhok MBE, chief executive of the Royal
College of Speech and Language Therapists says: ‘We
know that a third of stroke survivors have aphasia and
problems communicating and understanding how to
use those little things that we take for granted, such as
online technology to keep in touch with others.
‘Even being able to read a phone number can be
a huge struggle. These barriers often leave individuals
feeling isolated and alone, so this new tool will help them
to stay in touch with loved ones, keep connected with
friends and find support from the aphasia community.’
The Getting online for people with aphasia guide is
available as a free download at: www.stroke.org.uk/
aphasiaonline.
56 OTnews July 2020