Marilyn Ernest

A Comprehensive Field Placement Evaluation Instrument: History, Development and Implications

This article presents the historical development of a field placement evaluation manual based on the CAOT “Skills Profile”. The manual items are given and the scoring system described. Implications for students, clinicians, education programs and the CAOT are presented, should the manual be used generally in Canada.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy: a reflection of professional growth.

The Canadian Journal of Occupational therapy (CJOT) is the only Canadian refereed professional publication reflecting the views and professional development of occupational therapists in Canada. A study of all issues of CJOT published during three five-year periods was carried out to see if CJOT could be said to be improving in terms of reflecting professional trends. Some areas examined were quantity of articles, type of articles, references, authors and citations. It was found that although CJOT did reflect professional growth in many areas, there were a number of areas needing improvement before CJOT could be considered to be the primary professional publication for occupational therapists in Canada.

The literature review: an integral part of the research process.

The importance of the review of literature, a component of any research study, has been relatively downgraded by occupational therapists because it is time-consuming. In order to encourage novice researchers and illustrate the importance of a comprehensive review of related literature, a review was carried out in the area of auditory feedback and the teaching of the use of myo-electrically controlled prostheses. This illustration of method in research includes initial ideas, assumptions and facts, the researchable question, the literature review and the conclusions drawn from the review which help guide the researcher in his potential study.

Occupational Therapy Practice: Generic or Domain Specific?

The objectives of this study were: 1) to examine each of the 219 functions on the Occupational Therapy-Occupational Profile in an attempt to identify the functions that were domain-specific to physical dysfunction (PD) and mental health (MH) practice; 2) to demonstrate that occupational therapy practice is generic in nature if more than 25% of all occupational profile functions were not domain-specific; 3) to identify functions carried out by at least 75 % of all therapists as core (essential) functions, and 4) to relate the findings to the expressed shortage of fieldwork placements, particularly in the mental health domain. Chi Square analyses were used to examine the data from the evaluations of 100 therapists (76 PD and 24 MH) and 93 therapists (75 PD and 18 MH) on 122 functions and 97 functions respectively of the occupational profile. Findings with this sample suggest that: 1) 8 functions (3.7%) were domain-specific to MH practice and 18 functions (8%) were domain-specific to PD practice; 2) occupational therapy practice could be defined as generic in nature, and 3) of the 219 functions, 112 (51%) could be identified as core functions.

Computerized Fieldwork Data Base: Applications and Implications

Fieldwork placement is a complicated and involved task. On the one hand, it requires insightful, professional judgement, but on the other hand, it includes numerous routine administrative and clerical tasks. To deal with fieldwork placement more efficiently and effectively it was decided to computerize the fieldwork placement system at the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario. This paper describes the system developed and the resultant data base. The potential applications of the data base and the implications for students, facilities, educational programs, professional governing bodies and research are discussed.

An interdisciplinary methodology for the comparative evaluation of splinting materials (orthotics, thermoplastics, clinical research).

The methodology developed includes both the use of laboratory evaluation and clinical assessment in an area where there are no standard requirements, no specifications, nor any continuity of data available on the various thermoplastic splinting materials now on the market. A series of laboratory tests and clinical trials were devised such that these could be interpreted with regard to clinical considerations, cost analyses and serviceability factors relating to the materials. Laboratory testing covered possible effects on the chemical and mechanical properties of materials likely to be caused by various environmental, sterilization and working factors. The complementary clinical evaluation to highlight the behaviour of materials during the fabrication and wearing of splints consisted of specific information generated with the assistance of experienced occupational therapists, occupational therapy students and patients. Biocompatibility studies were also carried out. The data to be published will provide needed information to physicians, occupational therapists, physical therapists, orthotists, prosthetists, and administrators with regard to their making informed decisions on the selection, purchase and use of thermoplastic materials.