Using the divergent case method.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Canada↗
Biomedical subjects
Helene Polatajko
Publications and source records attributed to Helene Polatajko.
The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure: a research and clinical literature review.
BACKGROUND: It has been 13 years since the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) was published. In that time there has been a remarkable growth in its acceptance as an outcome measure within the occupational therapy practice and research. PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to review the emerging research and clinical literature related to the COPM since 1994 and to document its impact upon occupational therapy practice and research throughout the world. METHOD: A systematic search was conducted to the professional and research literature in English publications (primarily occupational therapy). Eighty-eight papers that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed, 86% of which examined the COPM in relation to its psychometric properties (19 papers), research outcomes (33 papers) or practice (33 papers). RESULTS: Overall, although there are a few limitations discussed in the review, the conclusion is that the COPM is a valid, reliable, clinically useful and responsive outcome measure acceptable for occupational therapist practitioners and researchers. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The COPM is used with a wide variety of clients, enables client-centred practice, facilitates evidence-based practice and supports outcomes research.
Biomedical Research↗
Enhancing research use through online action research.
BACKGROUND: Many health professionals, including occupational therapists, have difficulty utilizing research findings in daily practice. PURPOSE: To determine if an online action research project could enhance research use among occupational therapists working in similar practice areas. METHODS: Four groups of 12-14 occupational therapists met online for approximately one year. They discussed barriers and facilitators to research utilization, defined practice questions, and attempted to search for, synthesize and apply relevant research findings. Online communications and post-group interviews were thematically analyzed. RESULTS: Only half of the participants who began the project were still online with the research project at completion. These participants believed that their involvement in the group led to increased personal awareness, motivation and confidence regarding the use of research evidence in practice and knowledge to be used in practice. Time to review, critique and synthesize research evidence continued to be a major barrier to enhanced research utilization. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Online meetings designed to enhance research use among occupational therapists appear to hold some promise, but refinements are needed to ensure their ultimate success.
Biomedical Research↗
Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and their ability to disengage ongoing attentional focus: more on inhibitory function.
Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD), along with their Control counterparts, completed two endogenous, spatial precue tasks. When the precue arrow was informative (.80) with respect to target location, the spatial precue effect results demonstrated that children with DCD take significantly longer than Control individuals to volitionally disengage (inhibit) attention from an endogenously cued location (i.e., a disengagement inhibition deficit). When the precue was uninformative (.25), we found, contrary to a common assumption, that the precue arrow automatically moved attention in the direction of the arrow, and, in addition, that DCD children may also be less able to inhibit the precued-induced urge to move attention (i.e., an initiation inhibition deficit). This type of inhibitory difficulty was also indicated for manual response inclinations produced on catch trials. Overall, DCD children appeared to have an elevated difficulty suppressing the initiation of incorrect, stimulus-provoked movement urges, be they manual or attention in nature.
Attention↗
On the ability of children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) to inhibit response initiation: the simon effect.
The ability of children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) to inhibit the initiation of an incorrect manual response urge was examined using a typical Simon task. While the size of the Simon effect was the same for both DCD (N = 20) and Control (N = 20) groups of children, showing no difference with respect to the time needed to complete the inhibition an unwanted response, children with DCD produced significantly more errors of the type which reflected a reduced ability to successfully effect the inhibition operation when it was required. This result is consistent with some earlier findings pointing to an inhibitory deficit for children with DCD (Wilson & Maruff, 1999).
Child↗
An application of the Occupation Competence Model to organizing factors associated with return to work.
The variations in return to work outcomes for ill or injured persons experiencing health leaves are complex. However, it is important to comprehend these variations in order to develop evidenced-based practice in work rehabilitation. Currently, a plethora of studies exist in the literature that have attempted to explain the variations in work outcomes. A 20-year review of the literature on work outcomes has revealed several limitations in using this knowledge in occupational therapy. The study of return to work outcomes is, for the most part, atheoretical and the knowledge base is fragmented and disorganized. In addition, the literature does not reflect a consistent understanding of the multidimensional nature of either work disability or the facilitators for return to work. In this paper, the Occupational Competence Model is presented as a framework for filling this gap. This model is used here to organize and synthesize the factors previously studied on work outcomes to foster an understanding of this literature from an occupational therapy perspective and the future study of work outcomes and work rehabilitation.
Employment↗
Stigma and its management: a pilot study of parental perceptions of the experiences of children with developmental coordination disorder.
The findings of a small qualitative interview study with 8 parents of 6 children with developmental coordination disorder are reported. The parents discussed the social consequences of their children's motor difficulties. The new International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health was used as a framework for the analysis of the interview transcripts. The analysis revealed that the parents believed that their children's impairments restrict their participation in society. The interactions between impairment and participation are interpreted in the context of stigma and its management. The significance of occupational therapy interventions in the area of physical activity play to children's social life is discussed.
Activities of Daily Living↗