Quality of Occupational Therapy Research in India - A Descriptive Review.

Background: Occupational therapy (OT) enhances functional independence in the daily activities of people with disabilities and subsequently their quality of life. Research in OT generates evidence to provide safe and effective services to the disabled. However, OT research in India has been shown to have various methodological limitations.

Exploring the Research Priorities for Occupational Therapy in India: A Descriptive Review.

Background: Occupational therapists are considered an important workforce for the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities globally. However, in India, the profession is just beginning to gain recognition within the national and state-level systems for health care. One of the reasons for this could be the paucity of specific research related to the development of occupational therapy (OT) and its benefits to the health systems.

Determinants of patients' delay with disability in the diagnosed leprosy cases in the three major states of India: A case-control study.

Background: Skin lesions are the most common early symptoms of leprosy, often ignored by patients at an early stage and misdiagnosed as other dermatological diseases by healthcare personnel, leading to delay in diagnosis and treatment of leprosy precipitating permanent neurological deficit, deformities and serious disabilities.

Aims: The objective is to evaluate the duration of delay and factors responsible for the delay in reporting of patients, among the newly detected leprosy cases (Grade 1 and Grade 2 disability patients).

Methods: A case-control study was conducted during 2014-2016 in three major states of India (Delhi, Gujarat and West Bengal) in 140 randomly recruited newly registered adult leprosy patients (aged 18 years and above) with Grade 2/1 disabilities (cases) and 140 Grade 0 disability patients (controls) in each of these Indian states.

Occupational Therapy for Reducing Disabilities in Persons with Disabilities in India: A Systematic Review.

Background: The current evidence for occupational therapy practice, teaching, and research is replicated and implemented significantly from high-income countries in India. Therefore, a systematic review and an evaluation of existing evidence for occupational therapy (OT) to reduce disabilities including impairments, activity limitations, and participation restriction in persons with disabilities (PWD) in India are warranted.

Objectives: The objective of this review was to evaluate the effectiveness of OT interventions for reducing disabilities in PWD in India.

Ethical rationing of healthcare resources during COVID-19 outbreak: Review.

While rationing of healthcare resources is inevitable even in the most developed economies, particularly on the wake of a pandemic, ethical basis of its implementation needs to be reviewed. With sudden and huge demand for drugs and medical supplies and equipments, the need for rationing arises and thus the concept becomes unavoidable. Thus, we aimed to review and analyse on the key ethical issues in the concept of healthcare rationing.

Risk of disability among adult leprosy cases and determinants of delay in diagnosis in five states of India: A case-control study.

Introduction: A high proportion of grade 2 disability (visible deformity) is indicative of delay in detection of leprosy and leprosy is one of the major causes of preventable disability. We conducted this study to determine the risk factors associated with disability (G2D and G1D) among adult new leprosy cases and to measure their strength of association.

Methods: A multi-centric case-control study was undertaken in five states of India i.

Development and validation of a scale to assess attitudes of health care providers towards persons affected by leprosy in southern India.

Introduction: Assessment of attitudes of health care professionals is important as negative attitude could constitute a major deterrent to care-seeking by persons affected by neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) such as leprosy. Leprosy continues to pose a major disease burden in India with an annual new case detection rate of 10.17 per 100,000 population.

Epidemiological Perspective of National Leprosy Eradication Programme in Maharashtra: Focusing on "Tribal Hot-spot" of Tribal District.

Background: Leprosy or Hansen's disease, a chronic infectious disease caused by is a serious public health concern because of associated case load, morbidity and stigma attached to it. India achieved elimination of leprosy as a public health problem (prevalence rate [PR]<1 case/10,000 population) at the national level on January 1, 2006, still 19% districts in the country report PR more than one. In Maharashtra, it is found that very few districts within the state or very few pockets within the district are actually having leprosy burden.

"I Wasted 3 Years, Thinking It's Not a Problem": Patient and Health System Delays in Diagnosis of Leprosy in India: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Background: Worldwide, leprosy is one of the major causes of preventable disability. India contributes to 60% of global leprosy burden. With increasing numbers of leprosy with grade 2 disability (visible disability) at diagnosis, we aimed to determine risk factors associated with grade 2 disability among new cases and explore patients and providers' perspectives into reasons for late presentation.

Leprosy trends at a tertiary care hospital in Mumbai, India, from 2008 to 2015.

Background: Leprosy remains an important cause of preventable disabilities. After the advent of multidrug therapy, new leprosy cases have come down dramatically. Despite this achievement, India, which contributes 60% of the global leprosy burden, faces some challenges to eliminate the disease, including active transmission in the community and delayed diagnosis of leprosy patients.