Professional resources
Professional resources
Welcome to the July issue of BJOT . We ’ ve sumarised this month ’ s research under a number of themes :
Effectiveness of occupational therapy
The July issue kicks off with Edward Duncan exploring the fourth priority from the top 10 research priorities for occupational therapy , in his editorial ‘ It ’ s time to measure the long-term effects of occupational therapy interventions .’
He discusses the importance of evaluating long-term benefits of new and established occupational therapy interventions , in an economically challenging health landscape , where consideration must be given to deimplementing interventions that do not demonstrate a sustained difference in people ’ s lives .
The next paper is a review on ‘ The effectiveness of OT supporting return to work for people who sustain serious injuries or develop long-term ( physical or mental ) health conditions ’, by Blanca De Dios Perez et al .
The paper highlights the need to standardise descriptions of work outcomes , intervention components , and occupational therapists ’ work to correctly evaluate the effectiveness and mechanisms underlying return to work interventions .
Editor ’ s choice
The first research paper is our editor ’ s choice article , ‘ Football fitness as a meaningful driver of occupational identity in female breast cancer survivors ’, by Sidsel Damsgaard Thomsen et al .
The findings indicate that the female breast cancer survivors consider football a meaningful activity for the importance of their own health , but also for the strong connection to each other feeling of relatedness within the team .
The authors conclude that the integration of team sport into the field of breast cancer rehabilitation may be a way to promote physical activity , as it allows former patients to create a safe space to connect with women with similar life experiences as themselves .
BJOT next issue
International studies and perspectives
The next paper , by Darrel Moodley et al , explores ‘ Outcomes for children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis ( JIA ) addressed by OT services in specialist rheumatology clinics in South Africa .’
It found that occupational therapy intervention for JIA in the South African public healthcare specialist context is constrained by numerous factors , and that there is a need for researched clinical guidelines for a holistic occupational therapy intervention provided at a tertiary level , as well as the requirement of changes in terms of referral pathways and access to OT at a community level .
Selma Ercan Doğu et al then discuss ‘ Clinical practices , challenges , and job satisfaction of occupational therapists working in community mental health centres ( CMHCs ) in Turkey .’
The key take away is that working as part of a team and participating in training about community mental health are crucial factors in job satisfaction of occupational therapists working in CMHCs , and the study contributes to theory and practice by raising awareness on the critical roles of occupational therapists in CMHCs .
In the final paper of the issue , Amelia Portellos et al use descriptive and inferential statistics to analyse closed questions , and reflexive thematic analysis for open questions in their explorative study ‘ Sexuality and ageing : A mixed methods explorative study of older adult ’ s experiences , attitudes and support needs .’
They found that diverse experiences and personal factors influence older adults ’ engagement , satisfaction and connection with their sexuality , and that participants want more open , holistic and comprehensive approaches to sexuality from occupational therapists and healthcare support workers .
To access BJOT visit bit . ly / 3JzPLyX .
Voluntary guiding principles to support delegation of healthcare activities published
The Department of Health and Social Care and Skills for Care , working closely with sector partners , have recently published voluntary guiding principles to support personcentred , safe and effective delegation of healthcare activities to care colleagues .
A delegated healthcare activity is an activity that a regulated healthcare professional , such as a nurse , nursing associate , occupational therapist or speech and language therapist , delegates to a care worker or personal assistant .
These activities can include helping a person to manage their insulin administration , attending to wound care and overseeing mental health support .
Delegations of this nature have been happening for several years . The principles build on this work and can be adapted locally to complement existing best practice . Care colleagues are encouraged to review and adopt them in all eligible care settings in England .
To download the guiding principles and supporting resources visit bit . ly / 42Ze8Nt .
July 2023 OTnews 61