Hong Kong journal of occupational therapy : HKJOT最新文献

Aim: A testing method for early diagnosis of Mild cognitive dementia (MCI) that can be easily applied in clinical practice was investigated in this study. We examined whether MCI risk can be determined through finger movements.

Methods: Between 2013 and 2020, 1097 individuals were screened. After applying propensity-score matching to adjust for variability between the groups, 173 individuals each in the mild cognitive impairment and control groups were selected. Thereafter, differences between groups in mean values of parameters extracted from finger tap movements were determined using unpaired t-test and effect size. Furthermore, area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated from the receiver operating characteristic curve for parameters with significant difference.

Results: A significant difference was observed, especially in the number of taps in the MCI group compared with that in the control group (p < .001; 95% CI, -12.7 to -8.8; r = 0.51). A cut-off value of 30 taps was applied (sensitivity, 0.77; specificity, 0.67; AUC, 0.79). Significant differences were also observed in rhythm-related parameters.

Conclusions: These parameters might be useful for capturing MCI risk. Finger taps are easily measured and may be suitable for screening large populations. This tool might be used as a supplemental method to increase the sensitivity of traditional cognitive tests.

Background: Sleep problems are a health issue worldwide. Based on the Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance model, we developed an occupation-based sleep programme to promote awareness of sleep hygiene factors, promote an environment conductive to sleep, and restructure participation in daytime activities with a focus on occupational balance.

Method: This study uses a non-equivalent group design to evaluate the effectiveness of an occupation-based sleep intervention among community-dwelling adults with insomnia, when compared with a treatment-as-usual (TAU) group which focused on sleep hygiene, and relaxation.

Results: When compared with the TAU group (n = 20), the intervention group (n = 22) had significant improvement in sleep duration, occupational balance, and reduction in mood symptoms at both post treatment and 1-month follow up.

Conclusion: The results demonstrated that an occupation-based programme is an effective treatment for insomnia disorder and demonstrated the role which occupational therapy could play in primary health care service.

Background/objective: Although many therapeutic approaches use energy conservation, only a few effectively report the steps involved. Thus, it is intended to identify energy conservation practices to be organized in flexible and adaptable stages.

Methods: A scoping review was carried out, whose search strategies were applied in seven databases (CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Portal BVS, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) following guidelines by Arksey and O'Malley on the Rayyan software. Searches were carried out from January 2010 to December 2020. Inclusion of refered publications with different study designs, participation of adults with or by demands of energy conservation, joint protection, and control of fatigue and/or pain. Exclusion of productions without an occupational therapist or involving merely pharmacological or surgical therapeutic strategies.

Results: 653 articles were identified, after the selection and eligibility steps, 30 articles were full review, 18 articles were included and 635 excluded. Energy conservation studies have been increasingly focusing on neurological and systemic diseases, especially regarding symptoms of fatigue and pain. The findings were arranged in six strategies whose interventions are essentially based on guidelines and setting goals for patients, client-centered approach. Merely supervised interventions are less frequent. The number of sessions is closed, but the duration of treatment is not yet.

Conclusions: The signs of pain and fatigue are confirmed as indicators of energy conservation strategies, this delivery can be condensed from planning and organization, priorities, activity analysis, balance between activity and rest, outsourcing of tasks and physical/environmental adaptation.

Trial registration osf: https://osf.io/rsyq4.

Background/objective: The purpose of this study is to develop and validate an instrument to assess interprofessional collaboration by occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language therapists.

Methods: Item development consisted of a review of interprofessional collaboration and group interviews with occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language therapists. The developed items were surveyed on a 4-point Likert scale among occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language therapists. Ceiling effects, floor effects, and item-total correlation analysis for each item, as well as constructs, internal consistency, and cross-cultural validity of the scales were evaluated.

Results: A total of 47 items were extracted for evaluation and 28 items with five factors ("team-oriented behavior," "exchange of opinions," "flexible response," "sharing the whole picture of the patient," and "coordination of support methods") were retained after the evaluation. The correlation coefficients of the five factors ranged from 0.48 to 0.72. The total score of each factor and the total score of all 28 items were compared for occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language therapists, and the result showed that was no statistically significant difference between the total scores of all factors and the job titles. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the five factors are 0.842, 0.840, 0.805, 0.732, and 0.734 for the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth factors, respectively.

Conclusions: The developed scale includes items aimed at facilitating patients' activities of daily living through interprofessional collaboration, and its content reflects the expertise of occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language therapists.

Introduction: Cooperation among rehabilitation team members is essential in the home-based rehabilitation setting. Q-methodology that can quantitatively analyze the subjectivity of members of the rehabilitation team was used to explore the role of occupational therapists (OTs) in home-based rehabilitation. Methods: The Q-methodology process was implemented in five steps: Step 1 - Representative statements about the role of OTs were collected through in-depth interviews, open questionnaires, and literature reviews (Q-sample); Step 2 - A total of 34 rehabilitation team members (physical therapists, OTs, social workers, nutritionists) were recruited (P-sample); Step 3 - The statements were classified according to their subjective perspective (Q-sort); Step 4 - Factor analysis was performed based on the correlation among the responses from the participants (Q-factor analysis); Step 5 - The awareness factor for roles was interpreted (Interpretation of awareness factors). Results: The roles of OTs perceived by members of the home-based rehabilitation team were formed into five factors (A) Adaptation within home environments; (B) Professional development; (C) Reliable service execution; (D) Client needs resolution; and (E) Focus on activity participation. In all factors, perspectives on the role of OTs in helping clients participate in their roles and activities at home were included. These factors included issues and directions addressed in prior literature on the development of occupational therapy. Conclusions: In home-based rehabilitation, OTs must play a professional role in ensuring clients live fully at home, and cooperate with team members for an effective rehabilitation approach.

Background: Learning about occupational therapy theories is crucial to occupational therapy education, and an online database is developed to facilitate students' learning of occupational therapy theories in this study.

Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of this database on users' experiences.

Methods: A mixed-method approach, including surveys and focus groups, was used. First- and third-year students who had studied occupational therapy theory at a university participated in this study.

Results: One-hundred-and-twenty students completed the surveys, and 11 students participated in the focus groups. The students demonstrated a significant increase in the number of theories they named and their perceived understanding of theories after the semester. They rated the content, utility and satisfaction with the database in facilitating their understanding/learning of theories as moderate-good. Based on qualitative data, it appeared that the database provided specific information about occupational therapy theories and facilitated students' learning and level of interest in learning about them. However, the first-year students who accessed the database showed a significantly decreased level of interest in learning about theories, but such the decrease was not found in the third-year students.

Conclusion: The study findings suggest that the use of an online database may enhance students' learning about occupational therapy theories in educational settings.

Background: Children with disabilities are reported to participate less in activities than their typically developing peers. However, owing to limited longitudinal studies, improvements or deteriorations in their participation over time remain unclear. No studies were also conducted in Hong Kong to describe children's activity participation over time.

Aim: To investigate the changes in participation patterns of Hong Kong children with and without disabilities.

Methods: Thirty-four children with disabilities and 138 without disabilities were recruited from four schools. Their parents completed the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth twice over 2 years.

Results: After 2 years, both groups of children were found to engage more frequently in using electronic devices and less frequently in indoor play activities/games at home. They also participated more often in school extra-curriculum activities, events and field trips. However, the frequency of community activities remained relatively stable in the two groups. No changes in their levels of involvement in almost of home, school and community activities were identified.

Conclusion: The findings of increased participation in some home and school activities over time are encouraging. However, stable or possibly decreased participation of children with disabilities in other activities requires further efforts in promoting their participation.

Background/objectives: Visual demonstration by occupational therapists is very common in psychiatric treatment, however, some patients with schizophrenia could not imitate the actions despite the absence of any physical impairments. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify how cognitive functions such as attention and cognitive processes in the imitation process is necessary and how these processes were related to the ability to convert this into action (imitation) in patients with schizophrenia.

Method: The participants were patients with schizophrenia with mean age 59.2 (± 11.3) years, 23 were men and 10 were women. The participants were tested for imitation ability and cognitive function, working memory, and motor imagery.

Results: Three subjects achieved full scores in the visual imitation test. However, the median of the total score was 10.0, with many subjects failing to imitate multiple tasks. Imitation learning is associated with duration of illness(t = -4.09, p = .000), mental health(t = -2.30, p = .029), and cognitive function such as the ability to retain visual information(t = -2.97, p = .006), and that these factors are interrelated.

Conclusion: To effectively promote imitation learning in patients with schizophrenia, occupational therapists need to establish teaching methods that make it easier for learners to retain visual information from the early stages of their illness.

Background/objectives: Self-efficacy is a key component in mental health recovery and improvement in well-being. Mental illness is often resultant of environmental stressors, highlighting the importance of coping skills. Occupational therapists commonly utilise activity-based group therapy to encourage use of activities as coping strategies. However, there has been little research concerning these groups and their role in enhancing self-efficacy in behavioural-based coping skills. This study aimed to explore factors that affect behavioural-based coping self-efficacy during activity-based group therapy in an acute mental health ward. It investigates the relationships between (1) behavioural-based coping self-efficacy with overall mental health self-efficacy and (2) mental health self-efficacy and subjective well-being.

Methods: Immediately after the first group, participants completed a post-group questionnaire. Participation level was also rated. At discharge, the participants were asked to complete the UK Office of National Statistics subjective well-being tool and the Mental Health Self-Efficacy Scale. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests and one-way analysis of variance were done to examine possible covariates and confounders of all outcome variables. General linear models were then conducted.

Results: Post-group questionnaire reflected moderate-high self-efficacy (M = 6.92, SD = 2.48) and positive well-being with higher happiness scores (M = 7.42, SD = 2.20) and lower anxiety scores (M = 3.79, SD = 2.85). Coping self-efficacy significantly predicted overall mental health self-efficacy (p = .014), which in turn significantly predicted positive domains of well-being.

Conclusions: Performing behavioural-based coping strategies in groups can enhance coping self-efficacy and positive well-being, with possible positive influence on mental health self-efficacy and well-being at discharge.