Hum Resour Health
September 2024
Introduction: Occupational therapy has been underdeveloped and often neglected in the global health workforce agenda, contrasting with the global rise of population needs for services. The World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) is utilizing a research-based, multi-step process for developing a Global Strategy for strengthening the occupational therapist workforce. A multi-pronged scoping review, situational analysis, and expert input process enabled the drafting of a provisional Global Strategy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOccupational therapists have long been involved in assistive technology (AT) provision worldwide. AT is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) to enhance functioning, independence, and autonomy and ultimately promote well-being for people living with disabilities. With the digitalisation of societies, the everyday lives and occupations of individuals are changing, becoming more reliant on digital solutions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImportance: To fulfill their societal role, occupational therapists need to exist in sufficient supply, be equitably distributed, and meet competency standards. Occupational therapy workforce research is instrumental in reaching these aims, but its global status is unknown.
Objective: To map the volume and nature (topics, methods, geography, funding) of occupational therapy workforce research worldwide.
Purpose: To better understand the global role of occupational therapists and explore facilitators and barriers impacting user access to high quality, affordable wheeled and seated mobility device (WSMD) provision worldwide.
Methods: Mixed-method approach utilizing quantitative findings and qualitative strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis of a global online survey.
Results: A total of 696 occupational therapists from 61 countries completed the survey.
Background: Occupational Therapists are needed for meeting the health, rehabilitation, and occupational needs of the population worldwide, but there is no strategy for strengthening the occupational therapy workforce against a backdrop of an insufficient and inequitable supply worldwide.
Objective: To perform a situational assessment of occupational therapy workforce development and research toward informing a global human resources strategy for the occupational therapy workforce strengthening.
Method: A multi-methods design incorporating Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis based on scoping review findings, workforce development frameworks, and expert feedback.
Occupational therapy workforce research can help determine whether occupational therapists exist in sufficient supply, are equitably distributed, and meet competency standards. Advancing the value of occupational therapy workforce research requires an understanding of the limitations and recommendations identified by these investigations. This scoping review and content analysis synthesizes the study limitations and recommendations reported by the occupational therapy research worldwide.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOccupational therapists are needed to meet the health and occupational needs of the global population, but we know little about the type of findings generated by occupational therapy workforce research conducted worldwide. We aim to synthesize these findings and their range of content to inform future investigations. A scoping review with content analysis was used.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Human Resources for Health (HRH) research informs the development of evidence-based, population-centered HRH policies and practices. Occupational therapists are key human resources for meeting the health, rehabilitation, and occupational needs of the population worldwide. Yet, the global status of the occupational therapy workforce research remains unchartered.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: An analysis of data from an international survey was undertaken to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on telehealth practice in occupational therapy worldwide, in addition to facilitators and barriers in utilising this form of service delivery.
Method: The global online survey was circulated in the occupational therapy community by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) between April and July 2020, collecting responses to closed-ended questions, in addition to free-text comments. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses were used to assess relationships between respondent characteristics and the utilisation of telehealth.
Background And Methods: This paper reviews the current capacity of personnel in enabling access to assistive technology (AT) as well as the systems and processes within which they work, and was reviewed, discussed, and refined during and following the Global Research, Innovation, and Education in Assistive Technology (GREAT) Summit.
Findings: Key concepts addressed include a person-centred team approach; sustainability indicators to monitor, measure, and respond to needs for service design and delivery; education, research, and training for competent practice, using the six rehab-workforce challenges framework; and credentialing frameworks. We propose development of a competence framework and associated education and training programs, and development and implementation of a certification framework for AT personnel.
Introduction: To develop occupational therapy's evidence base and improve its clinical outcomes, occupational therapists must increase their research involvement. Barriers to research consumption and leadership are well documented, but those relating to delivering research interventions, less so. Yet, interventions need to be researched within practice to demonstrate their clinical effectiveness.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: There is a recognised need to improve staff training in care homes. The aim of this study was to conduct a qualitative evaluation of the Ladder to the Moon Culture Change Studio Engagement Programme (CCSEP), a staff training programme aimed at enhancing staff-resident communication.
Method: Focus groups were conducted with residents able to provide consent; staff and relatives and managers were interviewed in two care homes.
Background: World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) member organisations comprise 77 national occupational therapy organisations across the world. Each national organisation interacts with its members and the public using diverse methods. Increasingly, national organisations are broadening their communication methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Crisis situations in dementia can lead to hospital admission or institutionalisation. Offering immediate interventions may help avoid admission, whilst stabilising measures can help prevent future crises.
Objective: Our objective was to identify the main causes of crisis and interventions to treat or prevent crisis in persons with dementia based on different stakeholder perspectives.
Objectives: In the Netherlands, Graff et al. found Community Occupational Therapy in Dementia (COTiD) demonstrated benefits to people with dementia and family carers. In this study, focus groups took place with people with dementia and family carers to explore how to make COTiD relevant to the UK context.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aims of this study were to identify which factors may lead to crisis for people with dementia and their carers and identify interventions these individuals believe could help in crisis. Qualitative study using focus groups to compare the perspectives of people with dementia, family carers and healthcare professionals on causes of crises and crisis interventions. To help in a crisis, people with dementia were favourable towards support from family and friends, access to mobile phones and home adaptations to reduce risks.
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