Professional resources
You will all have now seen RCOT ’ s new strategy , values and brand . In our monthly editorial , our Chief Executive Steve Ford explains the changes and what it means for the organisation going forward .
While BJOT remains editorially independent of RCOT , we share similar aims to lead the occupational therapy profession forward , and so BJOT will join in this rebranding with a new look to our physical journal and online website , which we hope you will enjoy .
What will not change is the content we offer , and our strategy to publish research within occupational therapy with a high level of evidence to support occupational therapists in practice .
Our first article in the February issue is a scoping review from Kruger et al , ‘ In-hand manipulation assessment instruments for children ’. Accurate assessment of in-hand manipulation is imperative when treating children with fine motor delays .
A clinically suitable instrument for in-hand manipulation is required to inform the paediatric developmental and rehabilitation context .
At the time of the review , none of the 11 instruments identified had completed the instrument development process , showing further research is needed for the development of a gold standard in-hand manipulation assessment instrument .
We also have a systematic review from Escher et al , ‘ Effective interventions within the scope of occupational therapy practice to address participation for adults with aphasia ’.
This seeks to answer the question : What are effective interventions within the scope of occupational therapy practice to address participation for adults with aphasia ?
They present evidence that the use of community-based groups and adaptation of materials are effective to facilitate participation in people with aphasia , but also conclude that further research is needed .
Mourão et al present their article , ‘ Impacts of therapeutic horticulture on happiness and loneliness in institutionalised clients with mental health conditions ’, comparing therapeutic horticulture to more traditional occupational therapies for the improvement of physical and mental health in psychiatric treatment .
BJOT next issue
They show that therapeutic horticulture merits further study to maximise its effectiveness .
Following on , we have ‘ The relationship between cognitive function and performance in instrumental activities of daily living in older adults ’ by Toth et al .
Their findings contribute to the emerging understanding of specific cognitive domains related to the instrumental activities of daily living
The results can be used to reframe and improve intervention strategies for individuals with cognitive decline to maintain or improve performance in daily activities .
Afshar et al present a methodological study , ‘ Validity and reliability of Persian version of the Arm Function in Multiple Sclerosis Questionnaire ’. This study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of the questionnaire , which is a selfreport questionnaire for persons with multiple sclerosis , and showed that it was a valid and reliable questionnaire .
Next we have a cross-sectional study from Rezaei et al , ‘ Study of environmental factors and quality of life in children with cerebral palsy based on international classification of functioning , disability and health ’.
The aim was to investigate the relationship between environmental factors and quality of life of children with cerebral palsy and to prioritise environmental factors affecting the quality of life , suggesting that occupational therapists should devote part of the interventional plan to reduce environmental barriers .
Our final article from Patterson et al , ‘ A descriptive video analysis of interactions during inpatient brain injury rehabilitation groups ’, aimed to describe and understand the nature of interactions occurring in inpatient occupational therapy brain injury rehabilitation groups , using videorecorded group interactions , to inform recommendations for group facilitation .
They show that while group facilitators utilise a number of strategies to encourage peer interactions during structured activity-based rehabilitation groups , participants with a brain injury may focus predominantly on achieving the goal of the group rather than initiating peer interactions .
Visit : www . rcot . co . uk / practice-resources / journals / bjot
Are we meeting older people ’ s medicine management needs ?
The SIPA2 ( Sensory Impairment and the Pharmaceutical Care of Older People ) study is led by Professor Mags Watson from the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences ( SIPBS ), University of Strathclyde .
This study is grounded in earlier research identifying the challenges experienced by older people with sensory impairment as they navigate managing their medicines , as well as those faced by their healthcare professionals in supporting these individuals and their medication needs .
The SIPA2 study seeks to identify and develop person-centred product and service specifications that meet the needs of older people with sensory impairment ( OPwSI ), enabling them to optimise their health and wellbeing by improving their safe and effective use of medicines .
The survey is available at https :// bit . ly / 3uwMo5l and takes 20 minutes to complete . Participation is voluntary and all data will be reported in the aggregate .
February 2022 OTnews 55