Client-centred practice in Scandinavian contexts: A critical discourse analysis

Occupational therapists' experiences of photo-supported conversations - An intervention in primary health care

BACKGROUND

The health-promoting intervention BeWell™, which includes photo-supported conversations, is intended for people with stress-related illnesses. Its focus is on improving the individual's health and well-being by addressing what contributes to well-being from the patient's own perspective. There is no current knowledge of the experiences of occupational therapists of using BeWell™ in primary health care. It is thus important to gain knowledge of their experiences of using this intervention as part of investigating its feasibility.

AIM

To describe the occupational therapists' experiences of photo-supported conversations about well-being (BeWell™) with patients diagnosed with stress-related illnesses.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Six occupational therapists, working in primary health care, who had conducted the photo-supported conversations about well-being (BeWell™), were interviewed individually, and one focus group discussion was also conducted. Systematic text condensation was used as the analysis method.

RESULTS

Three main themes with two to three subgroups in each were identified; Discovering well-being through images, Enhancing patient's own efforts towards well-being, and Contributing to one's own well-being.

CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE

The results provide important knowledge for the continued research work with BeWell™ by investigating how the users of the intervention experienced it.

Diary-based survey of lifestyle habits in everyday activities and support for the process of change - a utility study

BACKGROUND

The need to support a healthy lifestyle among the population has become increasingly apparent in recent years. The National Board of Health and Welfare in Sweden has published national guidelines regarding unhealthy lifestyle habits since 2011. An instrument based on the practical and theoretical foundations of occupational therapy was developed to support the profession's unique contribution to implementing these guidelines.

AIMS

The aim was to examine the utility of the instrument by investigating its implementation potential and clinical relevance.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

Sixteen occupational therapists used the instrument in practice together with 60 clients. Afterwards, they completed a questionnaire covering questions of utility.

RESULT

The instrument demonstrated mostly positive dimensions of utility. The results show that the instrument seems to have a high implementation potential and is clinically relevant. It seems, for example, to support implementation of the national guidelines and to capture how a person's lifestyle habits are expressed in everyday occupations. The instrument further seems to promote people's participation in treatment.

CONCLUSION

The instrument 'Diary-based survey of lifestyle habits in everyday activities and support for the process of change' seems promising in terms of utility. However, the scientific merit of the instrument will need to be further established.

ICF Personal Factors Strengthen Commitment to Person-Centered Rehabilitation - A Scoping Review

Background: The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) classification is a biopsychosocial frame of reference that contributes to a holistic understanding of the functioning of a client and the factors involved. Personal factors (PFs) are not currently classified in the ICF due to large societal and cultural diversity and lack of clarity in the scope of such factors. Aims: To ascertain which factors in the ICF classification have been defined as PFs in different studies and what conclusions have been drawn on their role in the ICF classification. Methods: The study was a scoping review. A systematic search for articles published in 2010-2020 was performed on the Cinahl, Pubmed, ScienceDirect, and Sport Discus databases. The PFs specified in the articles were classified according to the seven categories proposed by Geyh et al. socio-demographic factors; position in the immediate social and physical context; personal history and biography; feelings; thoughts and beliefs; motives; and general patterns of experience and behavior. Results: The search yielded 1,988 studies, of which 226 met the inclusion criteria. The studies had addressed a wide variety of PFs that were linked to all seven categories defined by Geyh et al. Some studies had also defined PFs that were linkable to other components of the ICF or that did not describe functioning. Approximately 22% (51) of the studies discussed the role of PFs in rehabilitation. Conclusions: The range of PFs in the ICF classification addressed in the reviewed studies is wide. PFs play an important role in rehabilitation. However, according to the reviewed studies, a more precise coding of PFs is not yet warranted.