Professional resources
Professional resources
Welcome to the May issue of the British Journal of Occupational Therapy ( BJOT ). To read the latest and past issues of BJOT visit https :// bit . ly / 3Vv50hw . Don ’ t forget you need to be logged in as a member .
Occupational therapy and human rights
Our leading editorial this month is ‘ What can human rights law do for occupational therapy ?’ by Fiona Maclean and Ken Dale-Risk .
The article explores the present state of human rights in the UK and the implications for occupational therapy concluding that by collaborating , the professions of law and occupational therapy could help define what a human rights-based approach to occupational therapy in practice comprises .
Editor ’ s Choice
With roughly half of stroke survivors experiencing long-term impairments in their ability to perform activities of daily living ( ADL ), supplementing physical task repetitions with motor imagery ( MI ) or the mental rehearsal of movement without its physical performance is an intervention consideration .
Our Editor ’ s Choice article this month is the Systematic Review ‘ Motor imagery as an intervention to improve activities of daily living post-stroke ’, by Kathryn JM Lambert et al , which examined trials investigating MI effectiveness in improving ADL post-stroke .
The results support the use of MI to enable ADL independence , although more work is required to establish practical guidelines .
Evidence-based intervention
Occupational therapy is underpinned by evidence-based practice and intervention , which refers to use of the current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individuals .
The registered randomised controlled trial protocol by Szu-Wei Chen et al , examines the removal of environmental barriers to independent living ( REBIL ) and reports on evidence-based occupational therapy intervention to increase community participation for individuals aging with long-term physical disabilities . The findings of this paper serve as preliminary evidence for occupational therapy community practice and inform future trials .
The research paper by Stina Meyer Larsen et al , investigated ‘ Occupational therapists ’ perspectives on an evidence-based , client-centred assistive technology intervention ’.
Although reviews in the field of assistive technology have shown that a client-centred approach is important and that their delivery should be evidence-based , systematic and structured , this is not used consistently in practice .
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This pilot study concluded that by using evidencebased , client-centred intervention , occupational therapists in the study found that the collaboration with the clients was refined , with emphasis on shared responsibility .
Seniors ’ Eye Rehabilitation programme
In their research paper , Yanwen Tan et al explore the effectiveness of the Seniors ’ Eye Rehabilitation ( SEER ), a visual rehabilitation home therapy by specialised low vision occupational therapists ( LVOT ) in a pilot study .
The evidence from the work suggests that visual rehabilitation home therapy by specialised LVOT is beneficial to older adults with visual impairment , and such a service is a critical part of an integrated care pathway .
Students : both sides of coin
We have two research papers relating to students in this issue , from two different angles .
First , we have Clodagh Nolan et al , exploring ‘ Disabled students ’ perception of the sensory aspects of the learning and social environments within one higher education institution ’, analysing results from a survey developed specifically for the study , with respondents using descriptive statistics and template analysis .
The results pointed to a way forward for universities and institutes of higher education to design spaces that are more inclusive .
Then we have the research paper by Sarah Louise McGinley et al , on ‘ Selection and recruitment of preregistration occupational therapy students in the UK : Exploring entry criteria across education providers .’
It concluded that there is an urgent need for UK universities to ensure parity across entry criteria , increase visibility of acceptable alternative routes and substantially improve flexibility for part-time study , in order for the profession is to diversify .
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May 2023 OTnews 57