VOTC Newsletter - Winter 2021 VOTC Wishes you all a very Happy & Healthy New Year 2022! How Occupational Therapists in India Support the Battle Against COVID-19? Dr. Karthik Mani, OTD, OTR/L Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has plagued the world for nearly two years. Currently, the Omicron variant is dominating the world and the number of COVID positive cases is anticipated to peak in February 2022 (Deccan Herald, 2021). Battling COVID is a massive public endeavor which demands everyone to play a role. This brief article lists some of the ways occupational therapists (OTs) in India can do to support the government’s battle against COVID-19.  COVID-19 Resources IOTTT Published Telerehabilitation Guidelines for Occupational Therapists in India Indian Occupational Therapists Think Tank published Telerehabilitation guidelines to assist occupational therapists in India to deliver OT services via telecommunication technologies. IOTTT believes that these guidelines would be immensely helpful as practitioners resorted to telerehabilitation to ensure continued service delivery during COVID-19 restrictions/lockdowns. 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 Disability must be viewed as strength, not burden CISF to develop app, have dedicated helpline for seamless pr .. Access denied: No city for differently-abled Marina Beach accessible to differently abled now 'White paper' pushes for disability-inclusive education

Evidence Corner (Links to Research that Support OT Practice/Profession)   Educational status of disabled children in India Economic gradient of onset of disability in India Models of Employment for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities in India Running Title: Employment for persons with intellectual disabilities Evidence Based Practice

Copyright © 2021 Vijaya Occupational Therapy Centre, All rights reserved.

 

VOTC Newsletter - Fall 2021 Scope of Practice - What is it and How to Use it? Dr. Karthik Mani, OTD, OTR/L Scope of practice (SOP) is an official document that describes the services a qualified healthcare professional can offer. It also delineates the educational, training, and registration requirements of qualified professionals; professional titles; and practice settings in which the services can be offered.  To meet the longstanding need of an official SOP document in India, the Indian Occupational Therapists Think Tank (IOTTT) published an official SOP document in July 2021 (IOTTT, 2021). This article highlights the benefits of SOP and how it can be used to promulgate the profession of OT.  COVID-19 Resources IOTTT Published Telerehabilitation Guidelines for Occupational Therapists in India Indian Occupational Therapists Think Tank published Telerehabilitation guidelines to assist occupational therapists in India to deliver OT services via telecommunication technologies. IOTTT believes that these guidelines would be immensely helpful as practitioners resorted to telerehabilitation to ensure continued service delivery during COVID-19 restrictions/lockdowns. 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 Tamil Nadu civic polls: Breaking barriers, nearly 40 disabled candidates in fray Employment cards lack info on disabilities 'At home’ vaccine for disabled, people with special needs gets government nod Tamil Nadu to fill vacancies for people with disabilities in next six months Gujarat high court seeks reply on quota for persons with disabilities

Evidence Corner (Links to Research that Support OT Practice/Profession)   PREparedness, REsponse and SySTemic transformation (PRE-RE-SyST): a model for disability-inclusive pandemic responses and systemic disparities reduction derived from a scoping review and thematic analysis Education of persons with disabilities in India: A reality or a parable Prevalence of Smokeless Tobacco Use in India and Its Association With Occupations: A LASI Study Evidence Based Practice

Copyright © 2021 Vijaya Occupational Therapy Centre, All rights reserved.

VOTC Therapy Newsletter Summer 2021

 

VOTC Newsletter - Summer 2021 National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Rules, 2021: Q&A for Occupational Therapists in India Dr. Karthik Mani, OTD, OTR/L For the occupational therapy (OT) community in India, March 24, 2021, became a memorable day as it marked the passage of the much awaited National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021 (PRS India, 2021). The act regulates multiple allied and healthcare professions including OT. As a follow up to the passage of this act, on May 27, 2021, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare published the rules related to the act titled National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Rules, 2021 (MOHFW, 2021).  The rules highlighted the qualifications of part-time members of the commission and president/members of the professional council; salary details of chairperson, vice-chairperson, and secretary of the commission; specifications related to business meetings; travel allowances for part-time members; application procedures and fee; details of interim commission; and application details for the establishment of new allied and healthcare institution. This article analyzes the rules and highlights the salient points for OT practitioners in India in a Q&A format.  COVID-19 Resources IOTTT Published Telerehabilitation Guidelines for Occupational Therapists in India Indian Occupational Therapists Think Tank published Telerehabilitation guidelines to assist occupational therapists in India to deliver OT services via telecommunication technologies. IOTTT believes that these guidelines would be immensely helpful as practitioners resorted to telerehabilitation to ensure continued service delivery during COVID-19 restrictions/lockdowns. 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: Survey on to gather info on persons with disabilities Vaccination camps held for PwDs in rural Trichy E-content for children with special needs must be diverse and flexible Rajasthan first to appoint people with disabilities in 73 urban bodies In the clamour for beds and vaccines, the voices of the differently abled are drowned out

Evidence Corner (Links to Research that Support OT Practice/Profession)   Impact of Corona Virus Disease-2019 on occupational therapy practice in India: An online national survey Scope of practice boundary violation in occupational therapy: An online survey of practitioners' perceptions in India Occupational Therapy for Reducing Disabilities in Persons with Disabilities in India: A Systematic Review Evidence Based Practice

VOTC Therapy Newsletter - Spring 2021

 

VOTC Newsletter - Spring 2021 National Comission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill - What's next? By: Dr. Karthik Mani, OTD, OTR/L   As the occupational therapy (OT) community in India celebrates the passage of the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) Bill, 2020 in both houses of the parliament, some of the questions lingering in the OT practitioners and students mind include: When will the bill become an act? When will the act be implemented? When will the state councils be formed? When should practitioners start registering themselves with the central commission or state council? Is it mandatory for practitioners to register with the council? This article attempts to answer the abovementioned questions briefly. 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 Haryana: Over 500 disabled students to receive vocational training Govt notifies over 3,500 jobs for persons with benchmark disabilities App to help disabled in accessibility battle Bringing up a special child in an imperfect world The time for a national disability registry is now

Evidence Corner (Links to Research that Support OT Practice/Profession)   Covid-19, Coronavirus and Mental Health Rehabilitation at Times of Crisis Rehabilitation During COVID-19 Pandemic: An Indian Perspective Evidence Based Practice

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