STUDENT EDUCATION FEATURE doubt has been challenging but surprisingly a lot easier than anticipated .
‘ I met with my placement educator virtually each morning , to discuss what we had planned for the day ahead . This was my first placement , so the nerves were already there but amplified due to the sudden change in working environment .
‘ However , my placement educator and I applied continuous effort to ensure each patient still received the best possible outcomes , even in these unforeseen circumstances .’
The occupational therapist perspective Sarah Reeve , specialist occupational therapist in the Pain Management Team at Wrightington , Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust says : ‘ During the pandemic , we haven ’ t been able to see patients face to face , as many have co-morbid conditions that make them clinically extremely vulnerable .
‘ I adapted my home environment to be more ergonomic – sit or stand options , separate keyboard and mouse , elevated laptop , extra PC monitor if needed and new electronic paperwork . All of this allowed me to talk to patients over the telephone and on the virtual video platform Attend Anywhere . Virtual intervention for patients had gone well , but I needed to think about my student as well .’
Sarah explains that ‘ the overwhelming doubt of “ can I realistically support my student virtually ”’ was there , but I ensured the student and I had different ways of communicating in case we faced technology issues ; this way we always had a backup .
‘ Thanks to the support of the trust ’ s placement educator facilitator , the student , colleagues , managers , myself as the occupational therapist , and my patients for their consent , I felt happy and reassured .’
Sarah goes on : ‘ I contacted my student in advance . We both came to an agreement that although it would be different , through good teamwork and good lines of communication , we would do the best we could during these challenging circumstances .
‘ Following my initial experience of virtual patient groups , which I ran independently or with other multidisciplinary team colleagues during the pandemic in late 2020 , I was aware of what operating systems and computer software we would need .
‘ I created a checklist for the student to inform and advise her of what software she required , to ensure she felt organised and prepared for the five weeks ahead . We were both aware of robust clinical governance and we knew we had to maintain confidentiality at all times .
‘ We met virtually every morning for 30 minutes , mainly for our own wellbeing and relationship building . We discussed how the virtual experience was going every day , to learn by our experiences and discuss any changes we could make to ensure student learning objectives were met .
‘ We would spend time experimenting with sharing screens , refreshing pages , adjusting settings to ensure we were fully aware of how the technology worked to avoid as many hiccups as possible . We talked through our patients for the day and who
Lagueux et al ( 2021 ) conducted a mixed-methods pilot study , involving 15 participants with fibromyalgia , to explore the influence of a French- Canadian adaptation of Lifestyle Redesign ® for chronic pain management . Quantative data , from a range of outcome measures , were collected pre- and post-intervention ; qualitative data were gathered from post-intervention phone interviews with six participants . Findings included that there were improvements in engagement in meaningful activities , life balance , mental components of health-related quality of life and pain self-efficacy ( p <. 01 ). Interviews revealed two major themes : the occupational approach and development of a sense of belonging . The authors identify that this is a promising intervention that puts forward occupational therapy expertise to improve health and wellbeing through meaningful occupations , despite pain .
Reference Lagueux É , Masse J , Levasseur M , Pagé R , Dépelteau A , Lévesque M-H … Pinard A-M ( 2021 ) Pilot study of French-Canadian Lifestyle Redesign ® for chronic pain management . OTJR : Occupational , Participation and Health , 41 ( 2 ), 80 – 89 .
EVIDENCE LINK would be doing what part of an intervention session , ticking items off the learning contract as we went .
‘ Prior to meeting with patients , we ensured we had their full consent for our student to be present during their appointments , just as we would in the “ real ’’ world .’
Sarah concludes : ‘ We had two ways of communicating with patients during their appointments : telephone or the video platform Attend Anywhere . This worked well , due to some patients not feeling confident on video and vice versa ; their comfort was our priority , especially during relaxation sessions . ‘ If the patient was happy to join us via Attend Anywhere , this gave my student a chance to get more involved with their treatment and be able to engage well .’
Patient perspectives When reflecting on a virtual experience , having met the occupational therapist and multidisciplinary team face to face initially , several of our patients reported :
‘ I was unsure what to expect at first , as I have had several years of pain and lack of sleep , but the virtual sessions enabled me to learn different techniques to help ease tension which causes more pain and I have been able to rest my mind to aid sleep . By practising different techniques , I was able to note which ones suited me best and helped .’
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