Alberta Occupational Therapists' Perspectives on and Participation in Research

To determine the current level of research participation of Alberta occupational therapists, the Edmonton Research Orientation (ERO) survey, with an additional section measuring perceptions of barriers to research, was mailed to 610 Alberta occupational therapists. From an initial response rate of 52%, there were 293 useable responses. Seventy percent of therapists reported no participation in research. There was an association between level of education and greater participation in research but participation in research was not limited to those with advanced degrees. Therapists who were actually participating in research had higher ERO scores. There were no differences between therapists at different levels of research participation in their perceptions of barriers to research. Limited time, limited research resources, concerns about the usefulness of research, and questions as to whether all therapists need to be involved in research were some of the issues raised by respondents. The results are compared to a similar study of Alberta speech-language pathologists. Recommendations for facilitating clinical research are included.

Promoting radiation therapy research: understanding perspectives, transforming culture

Purpose: To identify the challenges and opportunities that prevent Radiation Therapist (RT) led research at our clinic. Insight gained from this process may lead to strategies which can encourage and support RT research. In this way we can ensure evidence-based practises are promoted by RTs as well as enhancing the professional profile of RTs in the research domain.

Methods: A qualitative approach was chosen for this study. Five focus group sessions were conducted to discuss issues related to research participation within our department. Sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis occurred whereby overarching themes were identified, content categories were developed, and summaries were written from these categories. Pre-dominant themes were later presented to the entire radiation therapy department for member checking. Answers to a series of questions were obtained anonymously through the use of iClickersTM (MacMillan MPS, Gordonsville, VA). Further, an open group discussion followed focusing on three key areas (departmental, personal and professional). Initiatives or opportunities that could be implemented to increase research activities were discussed and recorded by a designated note-taker.

Results: Nineteen RTs participated in five focus group sessions. The over-arching themes identified were definition of research, involvement in research and the barriers to conducting research. Member checking confirmed these major themes.

Conclusion: We identified the challenges faced by RTs in the areas of research and development at our centre. This information has given us a greater understanding of the culture of our department and the attitudes to research activities from all groups within it. We aim to use these insights to set-up a framework of support to facilitate increased initiatives. Alongside this support RTs will have a clear understanding of their responsibilities to the organisation that facilitates their research. We anticipate these developments will lead to greater job satisfaction for RTs, increased staff morale and most importantly, the improvement of the overall quality of services we deliver to our patients.

Integration tutorials and seminars: examining the integration of academic and fieldwork learning by student occupational therapists

This paper, the second of two companion papers, describes a collaborative research study conducted by academic and fieldwork educators of an undergraduate educational programme in occupational therapy. The study examined the perception of student occupational therapists' ability to integrate and apply academic and theoretical knowledge in fieldwork education sites following the introduction of Integration Tutorials and Seminars to the curriculum. The literature review supports the need to develop educational strategies to improve this integration process. The qualitative research design consisted of guided interviews with preceptors and students during two consecutive fieldwork education experiences. Inductive data analysis revealed three themes that contribute to understanding students' ability to integrate academic learning during their fieldwork education: the fieldwork learning environment; preceptor influence on student learning; and the student learning process over time. The discussion section raises implications for academic and fieldwork education approaches.

Physiotherapy for clumsy children: an evaluation study

This study reports the findings of an effect-evaluation study of physiotherapy for clumsy children. 18 children were identified by school doctors as having poor motor co-ordination. They were followed for three months in order to exclude spontaneous improvement of motor problems; none spontaneously improved. Subsequently, these children were enrolled on a regular physiotherapy programme. Treatment was administered individually twice a week over three months. The effects of treatment for clumsy children appeared to be promising: important improvements were found on various motor skills. These benefits were maintained for a three-month period after the end of treatment.