Wheelchair and seating assessment and prescription developing the skills set through appropriate education and training solutions

Transcription

1 Wheelchair and seating assessment and prescription developing the skills set through appropriate education and training solutions Sarah Brownlee, Dr. Rosemary J. Gowran & Siobhan Long Outline Background the importance of getting it right Background OT education & training Aims & Objectives Methods Participants Data Collection & Analysis Results Limitations & Further Study Conclusion 1

2 Background the importance of getting it right Postural support, comfort, safety Independent living and full participation Basic human rights (United Nations 2008) Low levels and barriers to social participation (Disability and Social Inclusion in Ireland, Gannon 2004) The assessment procedure is complex Consequences of inappropriate prescription Background OT education & training Occupational therapists a core provider - in need of specialist training and in-depth knowledge Training benefits occupational therapists (White 2003) The need for education and training is recognised by many significant global organisations (WHO 2008, UN 2008, AAATE 2003, Motivation 2013) A dearth of education and training programmes available in the Republic of Ireland 2

3 Aims & Objectives To evaluate Enable Ireland's, SeatTech Assessment & Solutions (SAS) two tiered programme To gather the views of participants on the current lack of education and training available in Ireland To discuss the results and their implication towards supporting a move towards mandatory education programmes for all relevant parties in the future Methods Quantitative strategies - survey 4 subsections (25 questions): Demographics, Course Satisfaction, Transferable Skills and Future Training Needs Majority closed questions, mostly provided likert scales for responses; The SeatTech Assessment and Solutions course content suited my needs. Definitely agree Mostly agree Neither agree nor disagree Mostly disagree Definitely disagree 3

4 Participants Administered to 101 participants who attended SeatTech Assessment & Solutions (SAS) training programmes Level 1 & Level 2 Participants had attended SAS training programmes between the years 2007 and 2011 These were the total number of participants whose contact details, in the form of addresses were available to SAS Data Collection & Analysis SurveyMonkey (SM) Quantitative results - descriptive statistics or graphed information Qualitative responses - content analysis methodology Ethical Considerations 4

5 Results Demographics - 30% response rate (29 returned questionnaires) - 83% (n=24) occupational therapists, 14% (n = 4) physiotherapists, 4% (n=1) clinical engineer -Participants work in a broad variety of settings with a range of experience (< 3 to 10+ years) Level of experience compared with years of practice None Basic Complex Specialist < 3 yrs 40 (2) 39 (5) 27 (3) 0 (0) 3-5 yrs 20 (1) 23 (3) 9 (1) 0 (0) 5-10 yrs 20 (1) 31 (4) 46 (5) 0 (0) > 10 yrs 20 (1) 8 (1) 18 (2) 0 (0) Results Demographics (cont) Time per week Occupational Therapists Physiotherapists 0-5 hours 50 (12) 100 (4) 0 (0) 5-10 hours 29 (7) 0 (0) 0 (0) hours 8 (2) 0 (0) 0 (0) 15+ hours 13 (3) 0 (0) 100 (1) Cinical Engineer Level of Experience None 21(5) 0 (0) 0 (0) Basic 46 (11) 50 (2) 0 (0) Complex 33 (8) 50 (2) 100 (1) Specialists 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 5

6 Results Demographics (cont) 68% (n=17)supplier/ manufacturer run courses 28% (n=7) Professional qualification 16% (n=4) Postgraduate education Results Programme Satisfaction 97% (n = 28) signified a level of overall satisfaction with training programmes attended 97% (n = 28) signified a level of satisfaction with delivery style of programmes attended 100% (n = 29) signified that the course content suited their needs to some degree 6

7 Results Programme Satisfaction (cont) Course Improvement Information Time Teaching Methods Results Transferable Skills 100% (n=29) identified SAS training provided them with an opportunity to develop new skills 86% (n = 24) feel it extended their overall knowledge in the area of provision 93% (n = 27) identified training has helped them in meeting individual user's needs 73% (n=21) have shared their knowledge gained from training with other service providers 86% (n=25) found that the training has stimulated further interest for them in the area 7

8 Results Future Training Needs Development of SAS training programmes 96% (n = 27) feel that there generally is a need for more training and education in the Republic of Ireland Participant's suggestions on what is needed for future planning: Accredited training n=5 Third level education n=2 More frequent courses countrywide n=11 More cost-effective training courses n=3 Opportunities for practical experience n=2 Limitations & Further Study Small sample size Representation across different professions A platform for potential follow-up research methods The impact that this training has on wheelchair and seating users would also compliment this study 8

9 Conclusion Wheelchair and seating provision is a complex process and this study shows that SAS training provides participants with appropriate knowledge and skills in the area, benefitting both personal and professional development. SAS training enables providers to meet individual user needs. This promotes the health and well-being of user's by enabling independence and full and effective participation, a basic human right. Occupational therapists are the primary service prescribers in wheelchair and seating in the Republic of Ireland and this study reveals the concerning state of their skill set. This study correlates the benefits of wheelchair and seating training with an overwhelming urgency and demand for development in the area. It supports a move towards mandatory education programmes for all relevant parties in the future and provides participant suggestions in order to inform this development. Clinical Therapies at University of Limerick offers: MSc in Advanced Healthcare Practice Graduate Certificates in : Musculoskeletal Therapy; Neurological Rehabilitation; Advanced Clinical Practice; Pain; NEW: Graduate Certificate in Global Health & Development starting Sept 2014 TBC for Sept 2014: Graduate Certificate in Posture, Seating and Wheelchair Mobility Across the Life Course Structured Doctorate programme and Masters Degrees by research. Tel ctpgcert@ul.ie or clinicaltherapies@ul.ie Info 9

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