Occupational Therapy and Arts Therapies
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/handle/20.500.12289/25
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Item Learn@Lunch: Developing a continuing professional development programme to raise knowledge and awareness of drinking alcohol as an occupation in later life(SAGE Publications, 2024-09-20) Maclean, Fiona; Breckenridge, Jenna P; Schrag, Anthony; Gray, Joanna; McCormack, Brendan; Kantartzis, SarahIntroduction: Occupational therapists in acute practice are increasingly likely to work routinely with people in later life who drink alcohol. Therefore, this knowledge translation study aimed to evaluate the development of a continuing professional development Learn@Lunch programme, designed to enhance awareness and understanding of occupational therapists who work in an acute hospital setting, of drinking alcohol as an occupation in later life. Method: Guided by the Promoting Action of Research Implementation in Health Sciences framework, the continuing professional development programme was developed, and a qualitative evaluation undertaken. This included pre- and post-focus groups with occupational therapists (n = 8) in an acute setting, where the programme was delivered, pre- and post-programme delivery interviews with the research champion recruited from the site, and one interview with the Allied Health Professions Service Lead. Findings: Findings indicate the Learn@Lunch continuing professional development programme enhanced therapist knowledge and understanding of the changing patterns of drinking alcohol in later life. However, practical barriers exist impacting how participants perceived the value and delivery of the programme. Conclusion: Learn@Lunch was an effective continuing professional development programme and supported enhanced knowledge and awareness of drinking alcohol as an occupation in later life, leading to changes in local acute occupational therapy practice.Item Assistive technology: Occupational therapy assessment and services for people with dementia(SAGE, 2024-05-21) Curnow, Eleanor; Maclean, Fiona; McCormack, BrendanIntroduction: Research suggests that services are not effectively providing suitable assistive technology for people with dementia. There is a need to understand the challenges facing practitioners to identify where service changes should be focussed to improve this situation. Method: This study used an online survey to explore the experiences of 41 occupational therapists working with people with dementia, and/or assistive technology. Eight participants subsequently agreed to participate in online discussion groups. Group discussions were transcribed and checked. Data responses from group discussions and open questions in the survey were analysed thematically using the person-centred framework to identify domains supporting or obstructing effective assistive technology service delivery. Results: Forty-one occupational therapist participants described challenges to providing person-centred assistive technology services. These included restricted access to assistive technology interventions, limited knowledge regarding developments in the field, variable funding, unsupportive systems, limited relevant training and difficulties working across health and social care sectors. Conclusion: There is a need to revise the systems surrounding the provision of assistive technology for people with dementia. Occupational therapists need access to training relative to this field, and systems need to be adapted to support the provision of person-centred care by widening access to assistive technology.Item Research priority 2: How can occupational therapists ensure that person-centred practice is central to how they work? Start by rethinking the person [editiorial](SAGE Publications, 2022-10-12) McCormack, Brendan; Pentland, DuncanItem How context influences person-centred practice: a critical-creative case study examining the use of research evidence in occupational therapy with people living with dementia.(2022-09-08) Kinsella, Niamh; Pentland, Duncan; McCormack, BrendanOccupational therapists are encouraged to use research evidence to guide therapeutic interventions that holistically address the consequences of dementia. Recent efforts to use research evidence in practice have emphasized the challenges of doing so in ways aligned to person-centred and professional principles. Using research evidence is a complex process influenced by multiple contextual factors and layers. The influence of context in occupational therapy for dementia is currently unclear. To explore the contextual complexities of using research evidence in practice with people with dementia, and to develop knowledge to improve the approach to using evidence in person-centred, occupation-focused practice. A case study methodology was used, in which the contextual conditions of practice were clarified through the facilitation of critical and creative reflection using the following methods - Think Aloud, practice observation, creative expression and reflective dialogue. Cultural beliefs that affected evidence use included technically-orientated understandings of evidence-based practice. These were underpinned by apprehensions about losing professional identity and taking risks when processes derived from research evidence were adjusted to incorporate a persons' occupations. These cultural factors were perpetuated at the organizational layers of context, where systemic priorities and other team members' needs disproportionately influenced occupational therapists' decisions. Occupational therapists' potential to make reflexive and responsive decisions by adjusting evidence-based processes can be affected by their perceived freedom to address organizational tensions. Raising consciousness of the influence of the organizational context on decision-making about evidence use could adjust occupational therapists' perceptions of their freedom and ability to be person-centred. Intentionality in reflective processes in practice are required to foster reflexivity.Item Adopting the concept of ‘Ba' and the ‘SECI' model in developing person-centered practices in child and adolescent mental health services(Frontiers, 2022-01-05) Attard, Christie; Elliot, Michelle L.; Grech, Paulann; McCormack, BrendanThe concept of knowledge is divided into explicit and tacit knowledge; explicit knowledge refers to the knowledge that can be articulated, written and stored, while tacit knowledge refers to personal experiences, values, beliefs and emotions of an individual. By Nonaka's theory, explicit and tacit knowledge do not lie separately but interact together by interactions and relationships between human beings. Thus, the SECI model is based on the assumption that knowledge is created through the social interaction of tacit and explicit knowledge; known as knowledge conversion. The SECI model is based upon four modes of knowledge conversion; socialization, externalization, combination and internalization. 'Ba' is considered to be a shared platform for knowledge creation. 'Ba' is a shared space, be it physical, mental or a combination of both that serves as a foundation of knowledge creation. Ba involves sharing of tacit knowledge i.e. emotions, feelings, experiences and mental images. It also involves the formation of a collective relationship which is open to the sharing of practices, values, processes and culture. This concept focuses mainly on the individual as a person who holds the knowledge rather than just on the knowledge itself. It aims to create a common space to bring people together where they can dialogue to share and create knowledge. As in the relationships formed in person-centered practices, relationships formed in Ba are based on not just the sharing of objective knowledge but also on sharing values, beliefs, and emotions. It also reflects the formation of a person-centered environment as a basis for person-centered research where healthful relationships with the participants are formed. Furthermore, Ba will aid in creating a sense of connectiveness and dialogue, thus focusing on the idea that the development of new practices is done with others rather than to others. In this article we will discuss how these Eastern concepts can be adapted and used to develop person-centered practices within child and adolescent mental health services, specifically related to rehabilitation and recovery. The concepts of personhood will be discussed, followed by a reflection on current practices adopted when working with children and adolescents.Item Can we talk about it? A qualitative study exploring occupational therapists’ decision making in judging when to ask an older person about drinking alcohol(Cambridge University Press, 2020-08-03) Maclean, Fiona; Dewing, Jan; Kantartzis, Sarah; Breckenridge, Jenna; McCormack, BrendanOlder people now currently drink alcohol more frequently than previous generations, indicating a need to understand how this influences health and wellbeing in older adults. However, knowledge and awareness of the changing role alcohol plays in the lives of older people is not necessarily widely understood by allied health professionals in acute hospital contexts. In turn, conversations about drinking alcohol in later life may not be routinely addressed as part of practice, limiting an older person's choice to make informed decisions about their drinking. This paper qualitatively examines when occupational therapists (N = 17) in an acute hospital setting will initiate a conversation with older people (65+ years) about their drinking, guided by a theoretical lens that encompasses both person-centredness and collective occupation. Adopting a qualitative methodology, this study illustrates a typology of reasoning describing how, and in what circumstances, therapists ask older people about their alcohol use. Three themes were generated that provide further insight into the typology, these being ‘hesitancy in practice’, ‘failure to link life transitions to alcohol use’ and ‘challenges of focusing on healthfulness’. These findings provide a potentially useful tool for therapists, services and organisations to self-assess their approach to asking older people about alcohol use; a necessary element of professional health-care practice as social trends in alcohol use continue to increase.Item A modified gap analysis designed to generate research priorities in occupational therapy(Occupational Therapy New Zealand - Whakaora Ngangahau Aotearoa, 2019-07) Maclean, Fiona; Kantartzis, Sarah; McCormack, Brendan; Pentland, DuncanWhere a limited body of evidence exists the traditional mechanisms of a literature or systematic review, which are often used to establish research gaps and priorities, can be problematic. This is especially the case in occupational therapy where evidence to guide future research directions can be sparse. A gap analysis of existing literature is one way to inform future research planning. This paper aims to describe a modified version of gap analysis specifically designed to identify research priorities in occupational therapy. This is illustrated using a small, disparate body of pre-existing, published work that explored practitioner knowledge of drinking alcohol in later life.Item Articulating expertise and professional artistry: New methodological principles for critical creative research(SAGE, 2019-08-01) Kinsella, Niamh; Pentland, Duncan; McCormack, Brendan; Burns, JaneThis poster presents a critical perspective of a methodology for research that facilitates articulation of professional artistry and expertise in practice with persons living with dementia. This critical perspective was developed during research which intended to explore the principles and philosophy underpinning professional artistry or expert practice with occupational therapists. Existing literature in occupational therapy reflects a concern with developing and expressing the principles of professional artistry, practice expertise and professional judgement (Mattingly 1991, Turner and Alsop 2015) for the purpose of raising consciousness of the value of occupational therapy and supporting development of role clarity and professional identity (Unsworth and Baker 2016). The argument that there is a need to develop research methodologies that support articulation of artistry and expertise related to professional philosophies will be presented in this poster. The case for research strategies incorporating critical creativity (McCormack and Titchen 2006) and creative methods as a way of articulating practice principles that are often deeply embodied in a practitioner’s being will be presented in this poster. A critical creative case study methodology will be described, and reflective dialogue about this critique facilitated with poster viewers. The key messages presented in this poster are: philosophical and methodological principles of creativity can facilitate expression of expert knowledge that is inherently tacit and embodied; and incorporating such principles facilitates practice development and research that is consistent with, and reflective of, our professional philosophy.