VOTC Therapy Newsletter - Winter 2020

 

VOTC Newsletter - Winter 2020 How to Gain Referrals for Occupational Therapy? By: Dr. Karthik Mani, OTD, OTR/L   For decades, one of the challenges faced by occupational therapists (OTs) in India and elsewhere is to gain referrals for occupational therapy (OT) services. The reasons identified in the literature pertaining to poor OT referrals include lack of awareness of OT among patients, belief of physicians that physical therapy could manage all of the patient’s physical rehabilitation needs, and limited awareness about the OT scope of practice among health professionals and service coordinators (Kelly & Steinhauer, 1991). Dunford et al. (2004) emphasized that professionals and stakeholders who refer patients to OT services need training and guidance to make necessary referrals and avoid unwarranted referrals. This article discusses a few strategies that OTs could use to gain referrals for OT services in various practice settings. VOTC Wishes you all a very Happy New Year 2021!             IOTTT Occupational Therapy Scope of Practice   Indian Occupational Therapists Think Tank (IOTTT) would like to thank all stakeholders who reviewed and commented on the official Scope of Practice (SOP) document (pertaining to the Indian context of practice) it drafted. The IOTTT officially adopted the SOP in September 2020. The document is under review for consideration for publication in a national journal. To learn more about IOTTT and its activities, please visit its official blog.  COVID-19 Resources IOTTT Published COVID-19 Secure Guidelines for Rehabilitation Professionals in India Indian Occupational Therapists Think Tank published COVID-19 secure guidelines to assist rehabilitation professionals in India reopen their practice/re-enter the workforce safely and protect the service recipients of occupational therapy. The guidelines are available free of cost here.  Centers for Disease Control & Prevention John Hopkins Coronovirus Dashboard Ministry of Health & Family Welfare Health & Family Welfare Department, Tamil Nadu     Disability News Goa CM pitches for early intervention centres to treat kids with disabilities On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Mumbai’s amputee riders share their journey Rajasthan: Record engagement of disabled persons in NREGA Indian-American run NGO launches virtual art gallery on disability How to know if your child has special needs

Evidence Corner (Links to Research that Support OT Practice/Profession)   Rehabilitation Needs of Stroke Survivors After Discharge From Hospital in India Dementia care in developing countries: The road ahead   Evidence Based Practice

 

VOTC Newsletter - Fall 2020 Art of Professional Writing In the era of multidisciplinary care, all healthcare professionals, including occupational therapists (OTs), are expected to communicate with multiple stakeholders such as patients, coworkers, referral sources, and other professionals. In a professional environment, most official communications are expected to be written communications. Activities such as documentation, report writing, preparing discharge summary, patient education, communicating with clients/staff/administration, communicating with other care providers, writing for publication, and writing for professional advocacy demand good writing skills from OTs. Hence, they must develop both professional and scientific writing skills to effectively communicate and remain successful in their career. This article  highlights the salient aspects of professional writing that might help OTs communicate effectively in business and advocacy contexts. Dr. Karthik Mani in Academia   VOTC's founder and chief occupational therapist Dr. Karthik Mani has joined the  University of Texas Medical Branch (UMTB) at Galveston as an Assistant Professor.  In this role, he is responsible for teaching doctoral level occupational therapy students  and pursuing research.     IOTTT Adopted Occupational Therapy Scope of Practice   Indian Occupational Therapists Think Tank (IOTTT) would like to thank all stakeholders who reviewed and commented on the official Scope of Practice  (SOP) document (pertaining to the Indian context of practice) it drafted. The  IOTTT made revisions to the SOP based on stakeholder inputs. After multiple iterations based on comments and expert inputs, the SOP was officially  adopted by the IOTTT in September 2020. The document will soon be  disseminated to the public. To learn more about IOTTT and its activities,  please visit its official blog.  COVID-19 Resources IOTTT Published COVID-19 Secure Guidelines for Rehabilitation Professionals in India Indian Occupational Therapists Think Tank published COVID-19 secure guidelines to assist rehabilitation professionals in India reopen their practice/re-enter the workforce safely and protect the service recipients of occupational therapy. The guidelines are available free of cost here.  World Health Organization Centers for Disease Control & Prevention John Hopkins Coronovirus Dashboard Ministry of Health & Family Welfare Health & Family Welfare Department, Tamil Nadu     Disability News Bengalureans win design awards for inclusive innovations No Madras high court bar on SSLC exams for disabled With new order, Tamil Nadu may lose more mental health professionals Online App for screening learning disability among kids What Steps Were Taken For Commute of Differently Abled Staffers During Lockdown, Bombay HC Asks BMC

Evidence Corner (Links to Research that Support OT Practice/Profession)   Choice’ in occupational therapy theory: A critique from the situation of patriarchy in India Use of the Kawa Model for Occupation-based Culturally Responsive Occupational Therapy in India Evidence Based Practice

VOTC Newsletter - Summer 2020 Demonstrate Professionalism - Command Respect In the Indian context of practice, one of the challenges faced by occupational therapists (OTs) is gaining respect from other professionals and stakeholders. Many professionals either experience a sense of inferiority or feel that they have not been given the respect they deserve. Respect stems from the way others perceive a professional. This article highlights the ways in which OTs in India can demonstrate professionalism to command respect from others.  Comment on Occupational Therapy Scope of Practice   Indian Occupational Therapists Think Tank (IOTTT), a voluntary group of likeminded, experienced, and expert occupational therapists, drafted a Scope of Practice document pertaining to the Indian context of practice. The IOTTT is seeking public comments on the draft. The deadline to comment is July 20, 2020. COVID-19 Resources IOTTT Publishes COVID-19 Secure Guidelines for Rehabilitation Professionals in India Indian Occupational Therapists Think Tank published COVID-19 secure guidelines to assist rehabilitation professionals in India reopen their practice/re-enter the workforce safely and protect the service recipients of occupational therapy. The guidelines are available free of cost and will soon be posted here.  World Health Organization Centers for Disease Control & Prevention John Hopkins Coronovirus Dashboard Ministry of Health & Family Welfare Health & Family Welfare Department, Tamil Nadu   Disability News No. of disabled students sees sharp fall in Rajasthan schools Lockdown blues: Persons with disabilities face abuse, neglect & uncertainty Grocery kits distributed to disabled Madurai: Lockdown a double challenge for disabled Coronavirus lockdown – In the pandemic, the disabled remain an invisible minority How Revival aims to ‘un-hide’ stories of disability in India

Evidence Corner (Links to Research that Support OT Practice/Profession)   Awareness of Occupational Therapy among Medical Practitioners in South India Utilization of Assistive Devices in Occupational Therapy Practice in Tamil Nadu Evidence Based Practice

Awareness of Occupational Therapy among Medical Practitioners in South India

Medical practitioners are often the primary referral source for OTs. To make timely and appropriate referrals to OT, it is imperative that the referral sources demonstrate a broader level of understanding of the OT profession. This study determined the level of awareness about OT among medical practitioners in South India. The results revealed that 82% of the respondents reported either being familiar with or having heard about OT. Respondents who are specialists, work in the private sector, and practice their profession in a foreign country were more familiar with the OT profession and referred patients to OT. Although many respondents have heard about OT and recognize it as a profession aligned with the rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities, their responses indicate that they have a limited understanding of the profession's scope of practice, OTs' role in some practice areas, and practice settings in which OT services are delivered. 

VOTC Therapy Newsletter - Spring 2020 Points of Interest for Occupational Therapists in India The Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill, 2018 was introduced in Rajya Sabha on December 31, 2018. This bill seeks to regulate and standardize the education of 53 allied and healthcare professions, including occupational therapy (OT). The bill was referred to the Standing Committee on January 2, 2019. The Standing Committee submitted its report (Report No 117) to Rajya Sabha on January 31, 2020. This summary highlights some notable excerpts from Report 117 that have implications for the OT profession in India with related comments, thoughts, and arguments. PS: The All India Occupational Therapists Association (AIOTA) reported that the bill (National Commission on Allied & Healthcare Professions Bill, 2020) was approved by the cabinet on March 20, 2020. Awareness of Occupational Therapy among Medical Practitioners in South India Look for the research article in the forthcoming issue of Indian Journal of Occupational Therapy that reports the survey that was conducted among medical practitioners (anyone with a MBBS degree or above) in South India to determine their level of awareness about OT.  Utilization of Assistive Devices in Occupational Therapy Practice in Tamil Nadu Look for the research article in the forthcoming issue of Indian Journal of Occupational Therapy that reports the survey that was conducted among occupational therapists in Tamil Nadu regarding the utilization of assistive devices in their practice.  COVID-19 World Health Organization Centers for Disease Control & Prevention John Hopkins Coronovirus Dashboard Ministry of Health & Family Welfare Health & Family Welfare Department, Tamil Nadu Disability News BCCI rewards Indian disability team Chennai: After Santhome, 2 more parks for disabled kids to c .. 2,000 disabled people to receive motorised wheelchairs in Tamil Nadu Teachers to be trained to help disabled kids perform better Goa’s beaches accessible, but not disabled-friendly Disabled and extremely poor Data: How disabilities make life difficult for the affected

Evidence Corner (Links to Research that Support OT Practice) Effectiveness of School-Based Occupational Therapy Intervention on Handwriting Stroke Epidemiology and Stroke Care Services in India INCLEN Diagnostic Tool for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (INDT-ADHD): Development and Validation   Evidence Based Practice

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VOTC Evidence Bytes: Multisensory, visuo-motor integration and cognitive interventions improve handwriting legibility of children

This article describes a study conducted in Punjab, India, in which the authors aimed to evaluate the impact of an intervention program in remediating visual perceptual skills of urban school children with poor handwriting. Occupational therapy screening tools were used for data collection. The results revealed that 12 sessions of remedial intervention program focused on multi-sensory interventions, visuo-motor interventions, and guided practices were effective in improving handwriting legibility.

https://search.proquest.com/docview/2157810922?pq-origsite=gscholar

Occupational Therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis

How can occupational therapists help a patient with knee osteoarthritis in the Indian context of practice? Dr. Mani has recently published a case study. To access the full-text of the case study, click here.