Masters Degrees (Occupational Therapy)

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Occupational Therapy) by browse.metadata.advisor "Buchanan, Helen"

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    The strategies and barriers addressed by occupational therapists in the process of successful work-related transitions for clients who have sustained serious hand injuries
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03) Uys, Michelle Elizabeth; Van Niekerk, Lana; Buchanan, Helen; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences. Occupational Therapy.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Introduction. The socio-economic burden of a hand injury in South Africa is substantial. Occupational therapists who facilitate work-related transitions after a hand injury require contextually relevant and robust evidence to inform their clinical practice. Aim. The thesis aimed to understand the strategies employed by occupational therapists to facilitate successful work-related transitions for people with serious hand injuries in both the government and private sectors of South Africa. Methods. A concurrent mixed-methods approach was used. The thesis comprised three phases’ a scoping review, a survey and a collective case design informed by phenomenological principles. The scoping review captured sources published between 2008 and 2018 across fourteen databases. The data was analysed descriptively and was used to inform a survey used in the second phase. The survey made use of a descriptive cross-sectional research design. The questionnaire was piloted. The data were exported from SUsurveys into Microsoft Excel for analysis. Phase three was a collective case design informed by phenomenological principles. Each of the four cases identified through purposive sampling comprised of an occupational therapist and client, amounting to eight participants. Sixteen interviews took place. Data was thematically analysed. Findings. Fifteen studies from 16 countries (14 high- and two upper-middle income) were identified in the scoping review. These revealed four strategies to facilitate work-related transitions and four factors that contributed to their success. No sources were found that detailed the different types of work-related transitions. Three themes emerged in the qualitative study: the acute rehabilitation phase, the pre-occupational phase and the occupational phase. A process model was developed to illustrate the phases through which participants transitioned. The least used strategies were issuing assistive devices for work, a worksite visit, observing a client completing work tasks and implementing a work trial. Financial support and compensation were seen as both an asset and a barrier. Conclusion. The absence of literature from low- and middle-income countries is likely to restrict the evidence-based practice in these countries, as interventions used in high-income countries may not be feasible in these contexts. In clinical practice, an occupation-based approach for work-related transitions is optimal. Collaboration with employers and co-workers enhances service delivery. Clients were positively impacted by the occupational therapists to successfully transition to work. In a country with high levels of unemployment, occupational therapists can contribute to facilitating work-related transitions despite the barriers identified.