Consumer Views and Experiences of Secondary-Care Services Following REFOCUS-PULSAR Staff Recovery-Oriented Practices Training.

BACKGROUND: The use of recovery-oriented practice (ROP) can be challenging to implement in mental health services. This qualitative sub-study of the Principles Unite Local Services Assisting Recovery (PULSAR) project explored how consumers perceive their recovery following community mental health staff undertaking specific ROP training. METHODS: Using a qualitative participatory methodology, 21 consumers (aged 18-63 years) participated in one-on-one interviews. A thematic analysis was applied. RESULTS: Four main themes were extracted: (1) connection, (2) supportive relationships, (3) a better life, and (4) barriers. Connections to community and professional staff were important to support consumers in their recovery journey. Many consumers were seeking and striving towards a better life that was personal and individual to each of them, and how they made meaning around the idea of a better life. Barriers to recovery primarily focused on a lack of choice. A minor theme of 'uncertainty' suggested that consumers struggled to identify what their recovered future might entail. CONCLUSION: Despite staff undertaking the ROP training, all participants struggled to identify language and aspects of recovery in their interaction with the service, suggesting a need for staff to promote open, collaborative conversations around recovery. A specifically targeted recovery resource might facilitate such conversation.

Reverse Integration in Wheelchair Basketball: Stakeholders' Understanding in Elite and Recreational Sporting Communities.

Wheelchair basketball (WCBB) often includes reverse integration (RI), defined as the inclusion of athletes without impairment in a sport traditionally aimed at athletes with an impairment. This study explored how RI in WCBB was understood by internal stakeholders. Data were gathered from athletes, coaches, and administrators at an Australian club competition and at a Canadian elite training center. Analysis of semistructured interviews with 29 participants led to the identification of eight themes. Collectively, the findings showed that RI was embedded within WCBB, RI was considered to be a way to advance the growth and improve the quality of WCBB as well as a way to increase awareness of WCBB and disability. There were some concerns that RI may not be equitable, as WCBB is a "disability sport." Stakeholders' perspectives on RI could provide useful information for sport policymakers, managers, administrators, sports organizations, and athletes interested in further developing WCBB.

'It's . . . forward-focused': Experiences of a mobility clinic for people with limb loss.

BACKGROUND: Mobility clinics are designed to extend gait and mobility training beyond rehabilitation programmes. No research has been undertaken into participants' experiences of attending these multidisciplinary, experience-based clinics. Research in this area is needed to ensure clinics meet intended goals, including understanding the motivation and experience of attendees. Insights may improve mobility clinics and inform strategies to encourage greater participation. OBJECTIVES: To explore the motivation of people with limb loss to attend a mobility clinic, the experience of participation and their perception of the clinic's benefits. STUDY DESIGN: Qualitative methodology, naturalistic enquiry. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine clinic attendees during the clinic. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, data thematically analysed and emergent themes underwent member checking. RESULTS: Three themes emerged from the data: facing the challenge captured how participants' have adapted to amputation, valuing peers highlights the important role of peers in learning and support and improving mobility described the ongoing quest to improve mobility. CONCLUSION: The mobility clinic was attractive to those who liked challenges and was an invaluable source of learning for those wishing to improve their mobility. Future clinics should ensure that peer education is supported, and activities cater for a range of skills and fitness levels. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Findings of this study indicate that those who attended the mobility clinic liked to challenge themselves. Participation with peers was an important source of learning and support. Those participants who had previously attended a mobility clinic reported improvements in their overall daily function.

Relationship between intuition and emotional intelligence in occupational therapists in mental health practice.

OBJECTIVE: Clinical reasoning studies have acknowledged tacit aspects of practice, and recent research suggests that clinical reasoning contains intuition informed by tacit knowledge. Intuition also appears to be influenced by awareness and understanding of emotions. This study investigated the relationship between intuition and emotional intelligence among occupational therapists in mental health practice. METHOD: We mailed a survey containing measures of cognitive style and of use of emotional competencies at work and demographic questions to 400 members of the national occupational therapy association; 134 occupational therapists responded. RESULTS: A moderate relationship was found between intuitive cognitive style and emotional intelligence. Experienced therapists scored higher on the use of emotional competencies at work and reported a preference for an intuitive cognitive style to a greater extent than novices. CONCLUSION: This study represents the first attempt to explore occupational therapists' preferred cognitive style and self-reported emotional intelligence. Findings suggest that exploring emotions through reflective practice could enhance intuitive aspects of clinical reasoning.

Facilitating students' reflective practice in a medical course: literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Reflection and reflective practice is of increasing importance in medical education curricula. The aim of this review is to summarise the literature published around facilitating reflection in a medical course, and to answer the question : W0 hat is the current evidence regarding learning and development moments across the medical curriculum in developing students' reflective practice? METHODS: A review of the literature was undertaken using defined databases and the search terms 'medical students', 'medical education', 'reflection', 'reflectFNx01' and 'medicine'. The search was limited to peer-reviewed published material in English and between the years 2001 and 2011, and included research, reviews and opinion pieces. RESULTS: Thirty-six relevant articles were found, identifying enhancing factors and barriers to effectively teaching reflective practice within medical curricula, relating to: The breadth of the meaning of reflection; facilitating reflection by medical educators; using written or web-based portfolios to facilitate reflection; and assessing the reflective work of students. DISCUSSION: A variety of reflective purposes was found in this literature review. Evidence indicates that, if students are unclear as to the purpose of reflection and do not see educators modelling reflective behaviours, they are likely to undervalue this important skill regardless of the associated learning and development opportunities embedded in the curriculum.