Validation study of a Chinese version of Partners in Health in Hong Kong (C-PIH HK).

Background: The Partners in Health (PIH) scale is a measure designed to assess the generic knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and impacts of self-management. A cross-cultural adaptation of the PIH for use in Hong Kong was evaluated in this study. This paper reports the validity and reliability of the Chinese version of PIH (C-PIH[HK]).

Moderating effects of voluntariness on the actual use of electronic health records for allied health professionals.

Background: Mandatory versus voluntary requirement has moderating effect on a person's intention to use a new information technology. Studies have shown that the use of technology in health care settings is predicted by perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, social influence, facilitating conditions, and attitude towards computer. These factors have different effects on mandatory versus voluntary environment of use.

Theorizing the health service usage behavior of family caregivers: a qualitative study of an internet-based intervention.

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to improve understanding of family caregivers' use of Web-based intervention support by integrating three theoretical models. The study applied the Anderson's model of health service utilization, Venkatesh's theory of technology acceptance, and Chatman's and Wilson's information behavior theories.

Methods: This qualitative study is part of a larger study.

Research lessons learned: occupational therapy with culturally diverse mothers of premature infants.

Background: Evaluation studies of the effectiveness of home-based occupational therapy are scarce but are needed to justify the impact of occupational therapy intervention. When the intervention is for persons from diverse cultural backgrounds, additional research challenges arise.

Purpose: To share lessons learned in conducting home-based occupational therapy research with Canadian, and immigrant South Asian and Chinese mothers of premature infants in a large Canadian city.

Living environments for people with moderate to severe acquired brain injury.

Objectives: This study examines the issue of living environments for persons with acquired brain injury (ABI), with the aim of identifying factors that enable or act as barriers to appropriate living environments.

Methods: A qualitative study involving 31 semi-structured interviews conducted with 56 key informants representing various relevant sectors: institutional, community, residential and non-residential, consumer/advocacy and government/policy from six regions in the province of Ontario, Canada.

Results: The study identified such barriers as lack of ABI-specific facilities, beds and trained staff and a poorly coordinated system in many areas, with long wait lists for specialized residential settings.

Stages of use: consideration, initiation, utilization, and outcomes of an internet-mediated intervention.

Background: Attrition, or nonuse of the intervention, is a significant problem in e-health. However, the reasons for this phenomenon are poorly understood. Building on Eysenbach's "Law of Attrition", this study aimed to explore the usage behavior of users of e-health services.

Internet-based caregiver support for Chinese Canadians taking care of a family member with alzheimer disease and related dementia.

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to assess the usability of a new Internet-based Caregiver Support Service (ICSS) and evaluate its effects on health outcomes of Chinese Canadians who cared for a family member with dementia. Demographic and questionnaire data were collected from 28 participants, and in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 participants. Results showed that non-users reported higher levels of burden post-intervetion, and frequent users showed post-intervention reduction in experienced burden.

A systematic review of networked technologies supporting carers of people with dementia.

We conducted a systematic review of the effectiveness of networked ICT interventions in supporting carers of people with dementia. Five bibliographic databases were searched and a total of 1456 abstracts were identified as potentially relevant. From these we identified 15 papers describing five interventions: ComputerLink, AlzOnline, Caring for Others and two studies from the REACH project (TLC and CTIS).

Evaluation of occupational therapy school-based consultation service for students with fine motor difficulties.

Purpose: This paper describes a 2-year study that addressed the perceived occupational performance changes among students with fine motor difficulties receiving occupational therapy school-based consultation (OTSBC) services.

Method: The sample included 52 stakeholders of students with fine motor difficulties who received occupational therapy services. Six exploratory focus groups and one participatory and action-based focus group were conducted with parents, teachers, occupational therapists, and Community Care Access Centre case managers.

Outcomes of an occupational therapy school-based consultation service for students with fine motor difficulties.

Purpose: This paper reports on a study that was conducted to address the perceived occupational performance changes among school-aged children who received occupational therapy services for fine motor difficulties. It also addressed teacher awareness and the degree of implementation of occupational therapy recommendations by teachers.

Methods: The study sample included 91 school-aged children referred for occupational therapy services for fine motor difficulties.