Browsing by Author "Pretorius, Blanche"

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    Clients’ subjective experience of their participation in rehabilitation at an out-patient community rehabilitation center
    (Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa, 2016) Kloppers, Maatje; Pretorius, Blanche; Vlok, Elizabeth Daphne
    Introduction: Rehabilitation services in South Africa are governed by various policies. It is important to evaluate these services to assess if the services are achieving their aims as set out in these policies. The evaluation should include the outcomes that clients achieve by participating in rehabilitation services. Method: The findings presented were obtained as part of a larger mixed methods descriptive study and this paper will focus on clients’ subjective experience of participating in rehabilitation. Convenience sampling was used to select 78 clients from the five most prevalent diagnostic groups seen at the centre. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed and analysed by means of basic content analysis. Results: Clients commented on the emotional impact that participating in rehabilitation had had on them and on the physical changes it had brought about. Clients experienced a high level of satisfaction with the service and enjoyed participating in rehabilitation. The knowledge, skills and confidence that they gained enabled them to be more independent in Daily life activities and to share this knowledge with others in their community. Conclusions: The results emphasise the importance of providing rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities that are based in their community. It will be useful in further service and policy planning for persons with disabilities.
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    Occupational therapy hand assessment practices : cause for concern?
    (Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa, 2015-08) De Klerk, Susan; Buchanan, Helen; Pretorius, Blanche
    Introduction: Assessment is critical for measuring improvement, or lack thereof, and demonstrating the outcome of intervention. In response to the lack of research in this area, this study aimed to determine the assessment practices of occupational therapists working with clients with hand conditions. Methods: A quantitative cross sectional survey design was used. A convenience sample of occupational therapists was recruited from five provinces. Respondents completed a questionnaire developed for the study that comprised demographic information, assessments used, frequency of use and factors influencing assessment choice. Data were analysed with Statistica version 11. Results: Eighty-one respondents (n=114) completed questionnaires representing a 71% response rate. Goniometry (84.0%), manual muscle testing (76.5%) and testing for flexor tendon function (76.3%) were used most frequently. The most common reasons for not using assessments were lack of availability and unfamiliarity. Conclusion: It is of concern that the assessment practices of participants in this study focussed primarily on the assessment of body function and structure with few therapists using activity and participation measures. This could seriously limit the evidence needed to verify the outcomes achieved through occupational therapy intervention in the treatment of hand conditions.