Have you been trying to figure out how to share your research with the people who can actually put the information into practice?

Are you an OT that wants to support research or find research that applies to your current caseload?

This week’s #OTalk, supported by @SamOTantha, is hosted by Katie Caspero (@otgraphically), Founder of OT Graphically, Infographic Creator, and Occupational Therapist. Katie helps healthcare professionals stay up to date by taking research and putting it into easy to read graphics. This helps therapists and their clients to understand and implement what the evidence says.

Katie will use her experience of using infographics and social media to help us to think about sharing and accessing research using social media platforms. 

Questions

1. What social media platforms or formats have you found the most useful for sharing research with stakeholders and/or accessing research as a research consumer?
2. In what ways have you found that social media has supported sharing, finding, and/or using research?
3. As a researcher, what is the most helpful way for you to share your research and make it accessible for a wide audience through social media? As a research user what have you found helpful in making research accessible?
4. Have you faced any challenges or barriers in using social media to access or share research?
5. What are your top tips as a researcher or as a research user to engage with research via social media to both share and stay up to date?

Post Chat

Host:  Katie Caspero (@otgraphically), Founder of OT Graphically

Support on OTalk Account: @SamOTantha,

Evidence your CPD. If you joined in this chat you can download the below transcript as evidence for your CPD, but remember the HCPC are interested in what you have learnt.  So why not complete one of our reflection logs to evidence your learning?

Reflection logs

HCPC Standards for CPD.

• Maintain a continuous, up-to-date and accurate record of their CPD activities.
• Demonstrate that their CPD activities are a mixture of learning activities relevant to current or future practice.
• Seek to ensure that their CPD has contributed to the quality of their practice and service delivery.
• Seek to ensure that their CPD benefits the service user.
• Upon request, present a written profile (which must be their own work and supported by evidence) explaining how they have met the Standards for CPD.

This #OTalk based on outcome measures is hosted by Charlotte Wise (@charlee_w), occupational therapist working in a female prison.  I am keen to develop the role of occupational therapy in the prison environment and recognise the positive impacts of occupational therapy can offer to these marginalised service users.

It is recommended that occupational therapists should be measuring and recording outcomes of interventions conducted with service users to provide evidence of the effectiveness of work which we are completing.  By evidencing intervention effectiveness, occupational therapists can assist with service development and clinical audits.

In conversations with peers, it is evident that finding standardised outcome measures to use can be difficult, especially in forensic or justice services. Outcome measures are then sporadically used meaning there is minimal evidence of the effectiveness of occupational therapy in the different service areas.

I am keen to use #OTalk to discuss with a variety of different professionals, what outcome measures are being used, the process of selecting and using outcome measures, the benefits of standardised and non-standardised outcomes and how helpful they are in measuring quality or effectiveness of intervention

References

College of Occupational Therapists (2015) Measuring Outcomes. Accessed online on 16^th April 2022 at Research-Briefing-Measuring-Outcomes-Nov2015.pdf (rcot.co.uk)

Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (2019) Outcome Measures Checklist.  Accessed online on 16^th April 2022 at selecting-outcome-measures.pdf (rcslt.org)

Questions

1. Introduction – areas of practice are individuals currently working? In practice, are you currently using outcome measures to measure effectiveness of interventions?
2. What is your understanding of an outcome measure?
3. In practice, what outcome measures are being used? Are they occupational therapy specific?
4. What are the barriers of using outcome measures in practice?
5. What can be done to make the outcome measures more accessible, user friendly, useable in practice?

Host:  Charlotte Wise (@charlee_w)

Support on OTalk Account: Sam @smileyfacehalo

Evidence your CPD. If you joined in this chat you can download the below transcript as evidence for your CPD, but remember the HCPC are interested in what you have learnt.  So why not complete one of our reflection logs to evidence your learning?

https://otalk.co.uk/reflection-logs/

HCPC Standards for CPD.

• Maintain a continuous, up-to-date and accurate record of their CPD activities.
• Demonstrate that their CPD activities are a mixture of learning activities relevant to current or future practice.
• Seek to ensure that their CPD has contributed to the quality of their practice and service delivery.
• Seek to ensure that their CPD benefits the service user.
• Upon request, present a written profile (which must be their own work and supported by evidence) explaining how they have met the Standards for CPD.

This #OTalk is being hosted by Louise Clark (@louiseclark15), Consultant Occupational Therapist- Stroke rehab. Assoc. Director SSNAP, RCOT stroke forum & intercollegiate stroke working party member.

Psychologists are an essential part of the MDT across the stroke pathway, however the recent SSNAP post acute organisational audit shows significant workforce challenges in inpatient and community services with very few services meeting the minimum recommended staffing levels for psychologists.

The stepped care model recommends an MDT approach to delivering psychological care after stroke, with Occupational Therapists well placed to be involved in assessment and delivering interventions for cognition and mood, for those at level one and two of the stepped care model.

This OTalk explores the challenges and opportunities for joint working between psychology and occupational therapy to optimise psychological care after stroke, exploring boundaries and understanding of each other’s roles and training.  Come and join us to continue the discussion started at the recent UK stroke forum, with members of the RCOT stroke forum and the British Psychological Society.

The following questions will be explored;

1. What are the challenges in delivering comprehensive psychological care after stroke?
2. What are our similarities and differences between the professions when thinking about mood and cognition? (practice, training, approach)
3. How should we work together from assessment to intervention to make the best of resources and skills to deliver what the patient needs?
4. If you could do one thing in your workplace to improve working between OT and Psychology, what would it be?

Post Chat

Host:  Louise Clark (@louiseclark15)

Support on OTalk Account: Sam Pywell (@smileyfacehalo) 

Evidence your CPD. If you joined in this chat you can download the below transcript as evidence for your CPD, but remember the HCPC are interested in what you have learnt.  So why not complete one of our reflection logs to evidence your learning?

https://otalk.co.uk/reflection-logs/

HCPC Standards for CPD.

• Maintain a continuous, up-to-date and accurate record of their CPD activities.
• Demonstrate that their CPD activities are a mixture of learning activities relevant to current or future practice.
• Seek to ensure that their CPD has contributed to the quality of their practice and service delivery.
• Seek to ensure that their CPD benefits the service user.
• Upon request, present a written profile (which must be their own work and supported by evidence) explaining how they have met the Standards for CPD.

This week @AbleOTUK will be hosting the chat 

Intersectionality, n.

‘The interconnected nature of social categorisations such as race, class, and gender, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage; a theoretical approach based on such a premise.’

(Oxford Dictionary)

Kimberle Crenshaw a law professor and social theorist, first coined the word intersectionality in her 1989 paper “Demarginalising The Intersection Of Race And Sex: A Black Feminist Critique Of Anti-discrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory And Antiracist Politics.” to describe the dialogue between feminism and women of colour, highlighting the different barriers women face dependent on the colour of their skin. This movement called for better inclusion and understanding of the different issues, such as racism, women of colour face in seeking gender equality.  

Since then, the term intersectionality has broadened to include protected characteristics, such as class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability and gender.

Intersectional theory describes multiple overlapping identities such as, language, occupation, level of education, income, marital status, whether you are a parent or not. That may oppress a person or a group of people. It believes that markers of identity, like race or sexuality, don’t just exist separately, but they all overlap or interconnect when it comes to oppression and power. It’s the idea that these layers do not exist separately from each other but intersect to form a person’s identity, and can magnify the discrimination and marginalisation they might experience.

Intersectionality happens in society any time a person has multiple forces of discrimination working against them.

Gender and Disability in Healthcare example.

Jane has had problems with attention her whole life. Although she has been to see many doctors and other health professionals throughout her life. It was not until Jane was an adult that she was finally diagnosed with ADHD. However, her doctor wonders why she wasn’t diagnosed sooner.

ADHD is a well-known disability. However, there is little research into this disability for women. This is because, for a long time, it was thought to only impact on males. Therefore, the symptoms and diagnosis of the disease were written for men. 

Since there is little research on ADHD for women, diagnosis doesn’t usually happen until they are older. Therefore, a woman with ADHD might feel unique oppression in healthcare.

Question 1-  To what extent are you aware of the term Intersectionality, and what does it mean to you?

Question 2 – If you feel comfortable please share your intersectionality identity, in terms of class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability and gender, and any other factors that make up your Identity.

Question 3 – What if any discrimination of identity have you observed within services you have accessed or work/ed within?

Question 4 – Can you explain why understanding intersectionality is important within occupational therapy?

Question 5 – How might occupational therapy practice ensure it considers a person’s intersectionality?

References 

https://www.researchinpractice.org.uk/all/news-views/2021/september/why-intersectionality-is-vital-to-anti-discriminatory-practice/

https://time.com/5560575/intersectionality-theory/

What is intersectionality, and what does it have to do with me?

Disability and intersectionality: Multiple identities, cumulative discrimination

https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/intersectionalities

Disability and intersectionality: Multiple identities, cumulative discrimination

POST CHAT

Host:  @AbleOTUK

Support on OTalk Account: Helen @helen_otuk

Evidence your CPD. If you joined in this chat you can download the below transcript as evidence for your CPD, but remember the HCPC are interested in what you have learnt.  So why not complete one of our reflection logs to evidence your learning?

https://otalk.co.uk/reflection-logs/

HCPC Standards for CPD.

• Maintain a continuous, up-to-date and accurate record of their CPD activities.
• Demonstrate that their CPD activities are a mixture of learning activities relevant to current or future practice.
• Seek to ensure that their CPD has contributed to the quality of their practice and service delivery.
• Seek to ensure that their CPD benefits the service user.
• Upon request, present a written profile (which must be their own work and supported by evidence) explaining how they have met the Standards for CPD.

This weeks #OTalk research, will be hosted by the two newest members of the OTalk research team; Beverley Turtle (@bevaturtle) and Samantha Tavender (@SamOTantha).  

Beverley is a post-doctoral researcher based at Ulster University. She is part of a team of occupational therapists working across Northern Ireland and Ireland on a randomized controlled trial examining the effectiveness of mirror therapy for the treatment of upper limb impairment following stroke. With a background in Psychology, Beverley graduated from Occupational Therapy in 2016, moving directly into a full time PhD, working part-time clinically as a band 5 occupational therapist alongside her role as a researcher.  

Samantha is a lecturer at the University of Huddersfield.  Before working as a lecturer Samantha has been working clinically as an Occupational Therapist for the last 10 years both in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Samantha is at the very beginning stage of a part time PhD which is due to start September 2022. 

Beverley and Samantha are in contrasting stages of their careers, both in their research and clinical pathways. What they do have in common is that they have both chosen a PhD as an opportunity to develop their research skills and knowledge and to support them to progress along their chosen career pathways. 

Recognising the differences in their approaches to their chosen study patterns and timings within their careers has led Beverley and Samantha to reflect on the different approaches occupational therapists can take to develop their research skills, knowledge and ways of thinking to a level which is considered advanced (Royal College of Occupational Therapy 2021).  Their reflection has also considered if a PhD is the best or only way to progress research to this level within an occupational therapy career. What other ways could an individual progress their research skills, knowledge and ways of thinking to a level which is considered advanced without completing a formal doctoral qualification?

Join Samantha and Beverley as they reflect upon their individual journeys and join them with your own reflections and thoughts on developing as a researcher. 

Tonight’s chat questions:

1. Let’s start by sharing our own stories and experiences. What opportunities have you taken to develop and advance your research skills and knowledge? Did you choose to PhD or not to PhD? 
2. What influenced your decisions and the timing within your career?
3. Do you think there is a ‘right time’ to start thinking about further researcher development or starting something like a PhD? 
4. How can occupational therapists, at all levels of their careers, be supported to engage in further researcher development? Have you got any advice for others on how to best to engage in opportunities to develop and advance as a researcher, whether a PhD or alternative opportunities?
5. What more can RCOT/Employers/universities do to support occupational therapists looking to progress research within their career?  
6. What steps do you think you can take now to help you meet your research development goals? 

References: 

Royal College of Occupational Therapists (2021). Career Development Framework. London: RCOT. Available at: https://www.rcot.co.uk/publications/career-development-framework 

POST CHAT

Host: Beverley Turtle (@bevaturtle) and Samantha Tavender (@SamOTantha).

Support on OTalk Account: Beverley Turtle (@bevaturtle) and Samantha Tavender (@SamOTantha).

Evidence your CPD. If you joined in this chat you can download the below transcript as evidence for your CPD, but remember the HCPC are interested in what you have learnt.  So why not complete one of our reflection logs to evidence your learning?

https://otalk.co.uk/reflection-logs/

HCPC Standards for CPD.

• Maintain a continuous, up-to-date and accurate record of their CPD activities.
• Demonstrate that their CPD activities are a mixture of learning activities relevant to current or future practice.
• Seek to ensure that their CPD has contributed to the quality of their practice and service delivery.
• Seek to ensure that their CPD benefits the service user.
• Upon request, present a written profile (which must be their own work and supported by evidence) explaining how they have met the Standards for CPD.