Understanding the experiences and needs of assistive technology users in Queensland.

Assistive technology (AT) can significantly enhance the daily lives of people with disabilities if matched appropriately to the individual and their context. Gaps remain in the AT sector in terms of provision and uptake. Consequently, this study examined current experiences and needs regarding AT provision throughout Queensland from AT users' perspectives.

Health professionals' experiences and implications of a technology-focused service within a rehabilitation setting.

Purpose: Both demand and need for assistive technology (AT) are growing worldwide. However, ensuring an optimal fit between the person and AT is complex. With health professionals often being the "gatekeeper" to AT, it is imperative to understand their experiences of AT.

Leisure Engagement Among People Living With Acquired Brain Injury: A Scoping Review.

Return to previously valued occupations is a common goal of individuals following acquired brain injury (ABI). However, the focus of rehabilitation is often on self-care and productivity occupations. Return to leisure should be a priority of rehabilitation to support a person's physical, cognitive, social, and emotional well-being.

Establishing the normative and comparative needs of assistive technology provision in Queensland from the agency and funding scheme perspective.

Background And Aims: Assistive technology services and devices support the participation and inclusion of people living with disability. In Australia, the regulatory bodies, agencies and schemes that manage assistive technology provision are governed by national and / or state-based Acts and Legislation. This study examined the assistive technology sector from the perspective of the regulatory bodies, agencies and schemes.

Clinical utility and validity testing of a co-designed outcome measure for hand burn injuries.

Introduction: A new outcome measure for hand burn injuries was co-designed within a Participatory Action Research framework with expert clinicians and individuals with hand burn injuries. The outcome measure reviews activities which are commonly interrupted post hand burn injuries and includes 18 activities.

Objective: The aim of this study was to establish the clinical utility, face, and content validity of the newly developed outcome measure.

A technology-focused service within a rehabilitation setting: exploring the experiences and current technology demands of people with disabilities.

Purpose: To understand and combat the challenges in taking up and implementing technology in rehabilitation settings, the HabITec Lab, a clinical service focused on technology, was piloted for 12-months within a tertiary hospital. This article reports on its preliminary impacts as a clinical service and on clients, including the types of assistive technology (AT) in demand.

Materials And Methods: Referral and administrative data from 25 individuals who attended the HabITec Lab were collated and analysed using descriptive statistics.

Lasting impairments following transient ischemic attack and minor stroke: a systematic review protocol.

Introduction: The focus on medical management and secondary prevention following Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) and minor stroke is well-established. Evidence is emerging that people with TIA and minor stroke can experience lasting impairments as fatigue, depression, anxiety, cognitive impairment, and communication difficulties. These impairments are often underrecognized and inconsistently treated.

Environmental sustainability: An exploratory study of the perceived knowledge, attitudes, and skills of occupational therapists practicing in Australia.

Introduction: The threat of climate change to the health and wellbeing of the Australian population is well documented. Literature is emerging to support the role of occupational therapy in environmental sustainability. To date, the perspectives of occupational therapists practicing in Australia are yet to be explored.

Exploration of individuals perspectives of recovery following severe hand burn injuries.

Introduction: Burns to one or both hands can impact how a person interacts with the world around them. Research regarding the specific impact of hand burn injuries and the experiences of individuals who have sustained hand burn injuries remains limited.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of people with severe hand burn injuries, including their return to daily activities.

Occupational engagement following mild stroke in the Australian context using the occupational gaps questionnaire.

Background: There is a need for research to identify the impact of mild stroke on occupational engagement. The Occupational Gaps Questionnaire (OGQ) measures the difference between a person's actual and preferred occupational engagement.

Aims/objectives: This study aimed to test the feasibility of the English version of the OGQ, and describe occupational gaps of people with mild stroke.

Unveiling the complexities of mild stroke: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of the mild stroke experience.

Introduction: Limited research has been conducted from a longitudinal and qualitative perspective on the experience of life after mild stroke. This restricts the knowledge held in this area. This study aimed to answer the question: How do people with mild stroke understand their experiences in the first 6 months after hospital discharge?

Methods: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, involving five Australians with mild stroke, interviewed at 1-, 3- and 6 months post-hospital discharge.

The lived experience of supporting people with mild stroke.

Mild stroke occurrences are rising and in order to comprehensively understand the experience of this health phenomenon, the context in which people with mild stroke live must be explored. Spouses are an important part of the lives of this population, but their experiences are yet to be fully understood. To answer the question: "What is the essence of the mild stroke experience from the perspective of spouses during the first 9-months after acute hospital discharge, in Australia?" Qualitative study involving four spouses at 9-months post-acute hospital discharge for their family member.

"Just got to live life as it comes": A case study of the spousal-dyad longitudinal mild stroke transitional experience.

: To longitudinally explore the transition home for a spousal dyad following mild stroke, in the context of a mild stroke-specific health service. : A case study approach, using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), was identified as suitable for this study, as it enabled the essence of the phenomenon to be examined. : Participants were purposively chosen from a Randomised Control Trial (RCT), to reflect the average age, gender and marital status of the mild stroke population.

Pre-discharge home visits: A qualitative exploration of the experience of occupational therapists and multidisciplinary stakeholders.

Introduction: The evidence base surrounding occupational therapy pre-discharge home visits discusses current practices, potential beneficial outcomes and limitations. However, research is limited, regarding how clinical teams determine which patients receive this service. This study aims to explore perceptions of occupational therapists and multidisciplinary stakeholders concerning pre-discharge home visits through their experiences and current practice in the Australian context.

Post-acute hospital healthcare services for people with mild stroke: a scoping review.

Background: People with mild stroke comprise a significant proportion of the overall stroke population. Previously this population has been viewed as having limited impairments, receiving minimal services following hospital discharge. Recent findings demonstrate that the implications of mild stroke are more significant than originally comprehended, warranting further services.

The impact of STRENGTH on the expected and actual transition to home experience.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences and expectations of people with stroke, during their transition from hospital to home, after participating in a novel inpatient outreach program, entitled STRENGTH.

Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews, which were undertaken at discharge and 4-6 weeks post discharge. Thematic analysis was used to code the interview transcripts.