An Introduction to Q Methodology, a Research Technique

2001 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 293-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Corr
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Q Methodology ◽  
Quantitative Method ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Educational Issue ◽  
Q Sort

In an attempt to develop the range of research methodologies within the occupational therapy profession, it is necessary to consider methods that may be appropriate to use in studies. Q methodology has been used in the United States, and to a lesser extent in the United Kingdom, by a broad range of researchers, including psychologists, social scientists, educationalists, political scientists and other health care professionals. It is basically a quantitative method for analysing qualitative data, based on viewpoints. The process involves developing a Q sort pack (a number of items representing the range of ideas on a topic), administering the sort (asking participants to rank the ideas with reference to their own views), analysing the data (looking for patterns in the way that individuals respond) and interpreting the results. This approach has a number of potential uses in occupational therapy. It is recommended that this method is given consideration as a research tool when attempting to identify the perceptions of clients, colleagues, students or others on any service or educational issue.

Do Health-Care Professionals Really Understand the Role of Occupational Therapy in Hospice Care?

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 379-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Jean Knecht-Sabres ◽  
Ashley Weppner ◽  
Cassandra Powers ◽  
Brooke Siesel
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
End Of Life Care ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Hospice Care ◽  
The United States

Background: The distinct value of occupational therapy (OT) in end-of-life care is to facilitate quality of life for clients and their caregivers through engagement in occupations during the clients’ remaining days. The purpose of this study was to explore health-care professionals’ perceptions and knowledge regarding the role of OT in hospice care and to better understand why OT may be underutilized in this setting. Participants: A total of 104 professionals working in hospice care from 31 different states participated in this study. Methods: Electronic surveys were distributed to hospice agencies throughout the United States. Data Analysis: Descriptive statistics was used to analyze quantitative data, and content analysis was used to identify patterns with qualitative data. Rigor was enhanced through peer-review, multiple coders, and triangulation. Results: The results of this study revealed that OT’s role in hospice care is misunderstood, and OT services are underutilized. Five themes were identified regarding the underutilization of OT services: (1) lack of reimbursement, (2) timing of referral, (3) knowledge of the role of OT, (4) refusal of services by family members, and (5) lack of OT presence in this setting. Conclusion: This study revealed that health-care professionals do believe that OTs are vital members of the hospice care team. However, many recipients of hospice care are not receiving OT. More consistent referrals to OT may better ensure that the terminally ill are able to attain end-of-life goals and live their lives to the fullest, regardless of life expectancy.

scholarly journals Clinical Ethics Committees in the United Kingdom: Towards Evaluation

2007 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Williamson ◽  
Sheila McLean ◽  
Judith Connell
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Clinical Ethics ◽  
Ethics Committees ◽  
The United States ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Uk

In the United Kingdom there is a growing conviction that CECs have an important role to play in helping health care professionals address ethical dilemmas. For example, the Royal College of Physicians, the Nuffield Trust and the unofficial Clinical Ethics Network, which has received financial support from the Department of Health, commend the use of CECs in the UK. The growth of such committees has been influenced by the legal and policy support they have received in the United States. However, there is increasing concern about both the benefits and the quality of work produced by CECs. In addition, despite the rapid increase in the number of CECs in the UK, outside of the United States they remain under-researched and no formal mechanism exists to assess their performance. As a result we know little about the structure, function, impact and effectiveness of CECs. We are currently conducting a research project funded by the Wellcome Trust that seeks to interrogate the competing claims regarding the benefits and disbenefits of CECs. This initial account of our research provides a detailed analysis of theoretical issues that surround the development and use of CECs and points towards the questions that lie at the heart of the social science strand of our project.

scholarly journals Features, Functionality, and Acceptability of Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Tinnitus in the United States

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 476-490
Author(s):  
Vinaya Manchaiah ◽  
George Vlaescu ◽  
Srinivas Varadaraj ◽  
Elizabeth Parks Aronson ◽  
Marc A. Fagelson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cognitive Behavioral ◽  
Software Safety ◽  
Regulatory Aspects ◽  
The United Kingdom

Objective Although tinnitus is one of the most commonly reported symptoms in the general population, patients with bothersome tinnitus are challenged by issues related to accessibility of care and intervention options that lack strong evidence to support their use. Therefore, creative ways of delivering evidence-based interventions are necessary. Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) demonstrates potential as a means of delivering this support but is not currently available in the United States. This article discusses the adaptation of an ICBT intervention, originally used in Sweden, Germany, and the United Kingdom, for delivery in the United States. The aim of this study was to (a) modify the web platform's features to suit a U.S. population, (b) adapt its functionality to comply with regulatory aspects, and (c) evaluate the credibility and acceptability of the ICBT intervention from the perspective of health care professionals and patients with bothersome tinnitus. Materials/Method Initially, the iTerapi ePlatform developed in Sweden was adopted for use in the United States. Functional adaptations followed to ensure that the platform's functional and security features complied with both institutional and governmental regulations and that it was suitable for a U.S. population. Following these adaptations, credibility and acceptance of the materials were evaluated by both health care professionals ( n = 11) and patients with bothersome tinnitus ( n = 8). Results Software safety and compliance regulatory assessments were met. Health care professionals and patients reported favorable acceptance and satisfaction ratings regarding the content, suitability, presentation, usability, and exercises provided in the ICBT platform. Modifications to the features and functionality of the platform were made according to user feedback. Conclusions Ensuring that the ePlatform employed the appropriate features and functionalities for the intended population was essential to developing the Internet-based interventions. The favorable user evaluations indicated that the intervention materials were appropriate for the tinnitus population in the United States.

“There’s More to It Than Just a Box Check”: Measuring Prison Climate in Three Correctional Facilities

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (8) ◽  
pp. 1354-1383 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Susan Williams ◽  
Edward L.W. Green ◽  
William A. Chernoff
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Correctional Facilities ◽  
Maximum Security ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Medium Security ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Item Scale ◽  
Check Measuring

The imperative to heed social environment and power of the situation, particularly as applied to prison settings, dates to the 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment; the widely cited study concluded that situational factors, not personality, created the damaging conditions observed. Despite critical need for research on prison climate, measurement has met stiff challenges, and little research on prison culture exists in the United States. This study applies a 17-item scale, primarily based on Essen Climate Evaluation Schema (EssenCES), an instrument validated in Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom. It was administered to inmates and staff in three correctional facilities in the U.S. Midwest, one medium security and two maximum security. Survey results demonstrate higher levels of cohesion at the medium-security facility, but multivariate analysis suggests a much more complex relationship between facility and environment, varying particularly in response to perceived inmate threat. Qualitative data suggest that understanding these associations is vital to building socially adaptive conditions and prosocial change.

scholarly journals The First Annual Conference of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists (UK)

2000 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-132
Author(s):  
Sulayman S. Nyang
Keyword(s):  
Political Science ◽  
Political Process ◽  
The United States ◽  
Academic Disciplines ◽  
Keynote Address ◽  
Annual Conference ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
House Of Lords

The first annual conference of the Association of Muslim SocialScientists of the United Kingdom took place on October 30-31, 1999, at theLondon School of Economics and Political Science in London, England.The attendees came from various British and continental European universities.There were also a few participants from outside the European continent.This conference was a follow-up to the December 1996 seminar at theOxford Academy for Advanced Studies that led to the creation of theAMSS(UK) for the specific purpose of promoting Islamic perspectives invarious academic disciplines. According to the conference program, theplanners of the conference chose an "open theme," inviting presenters towrite on topics in their own field of expertise. Because of this open invitationto the participants, papers on philosophy, sociology, political science,economics, law, education, religious studies, literature, art, media, andecology were presented at the conference.On the opening day, Lord Ahmed of Rotherham ( one of four Muslims sittingin the House of Lords) delivered the keynote address. He encouragedthe Muslim scholars to study the Muslim experience in the British Isles andto contribute to the better understanding of the Muslim minority in Britishsociety. He underscored the persistence of racism and anti-Islamic sentimentsin the country and urged his fellow believers to keep the faith and tomaintain their vigilance against the detractors of Islam in the West. Heargued for greater Muslim involvement in the political process in Britishsociety and urged the younger generation to do everything within theirpower to assert their rights as citizens and to maintain their Islamic identity.Professor Sulayman S. Nyang, a former President of the Association ofMuslim Social Scientists of the United States and Canada, addressed themeeting after Lord Ahmed's keynote address. Invited purposely to share theexperiences of the American AMSS with members of the British AMSS, ...

Thomas Bessell Kidner and the Development of Occupational Therapy in the United Kingdom: Establishing the Links

2007 ◽  
Vol 70 (7) ◽  
pp. 292-300
Author(s):  
Judith Friedland
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Secondary Source ◽  
Work Experiences ◽  
World War ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The First World War ◽  
Interpretive Biography ◽  
First World

This historical research describes the life and work of Thomas Bessell Kidner (1866-1932). The purpose of the article is threefold: to describe Kidner's British heritage, to suggest how Kidner's background may have influenced his contributions to the early development of the profession, and to examine how Kidner's contributions have influenced practice. Using methods appropriate to interpretive biography, primary and secondary source materials have been gathered and analysed relating to Kidner's education and early work experiences in England; his work in Canada, teaching manual training and as Vocational Secretary during the First World War; and his time in the United States, with particular reference to his role with the American Occupational Therapy Association. The analysis suggests that Kidner brought the ideology of educational reform, as manifested in manual training, into occupational therapy and that this work provided a foundation for his approach to the treatment of injured soldiers. Kidner's efforts to help the profession to survive and expand after the war, with the consequent alignment with medicine, are also highlighted. His contact with the profession and with key individuals, such as Elizabeth Casson, in the United Kingdom is also explored. Finally, Kidner's contributions are considered in the light of how the profession might have developed had circumstances been different.

scholarly journals “Islamization of Knowledge” Seminar Held at the Institute of Education, London University

1987 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 325-327
Author(s):  
IIIT - UK Office
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
United States Of America ◽  
Student Organizations ◽  
The United States ◽  
Director General ◽  
International Institute ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Islamic Thought ◽  
Independent Organization

The seminar which was held on October 31, 1987 was aimed at introducingthe International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) to the Muslim intellectualsin the United Kingdom. The seminar was attended by over 40 peopleof different specializations from various parts of the United Kingdom. Theseminar was divided in two sessions. The morning session was chaired byDr. Tayyib Zain al-Abidin, the representative of the Institute in Khartoum,Sudan. The speakers in this session included: Dr. ‘AbdulHamid AbuSulayman,Director General, IIIT; Mr. Mashuq Aly, Head of the Department of IslamicStudies, Lampeter University College, Wales; and Dr. Salim Al-Hasani, Man-Chester University.Dr. AbdulHamidd AbuSulayman outlined the objectives and goals of theInstitute and clarified the concept of the Islamization of Knowledge which,according to him, constituted the very raison detre of the Institute. He emphasizedthat the Muslim world lacked neither resources nor values; whatit lacked was the correct methodology of thinking in order to tackle the pressingproblems of today. The problem, therefore, is primarily a problem of thought.It is incumbent upon the Ummah to reform its methodology of thinking andof solving its problems.Dr. AbuSulayman then traced the developments that led to the establishmentof the Institute. He explained that through their work in student organizations,he and his colleagues arrived at the conclusion that political and socialwork was not enough and that there was a need for work in the field of thoughtand intellectual analysis. It was also not enough to criticise and express dismayat the present bad conditions of the Ummah. What was needed was to presentan alternative Islamic paradigm of intellectual thought and practical solutionsof the problems of the Islamic world.It was therefore decided to establish the Association of Muslim Social Scientists(AMSS) in the United States of America. Building on the experiencegained in the AMSS, the International Institute of Islamic thought was establishedas an independent organization to deal with the problem of intellectual ...

scholarly journals Cultural Competency: Integrating an Evidence-Based Course for Increasing Inclusive Practices

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy Chappell ◽  
Ingrid Provident
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Competence ◽  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Cultural Competency ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
The United States ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Evidenced Based ◽  
Occupational Therapy Practitioners

PURPOSE: The United States is rapidly becoming more culturally diverse; thus, therapists need to be equipped with an adequate skill set to provide culturally inclusive services. Although educational institutions and continuing education courses provide some form of cultural competency training, there is no standardized approach currently for occupational therapists. METHODS: This article describes an evidenced-based course which was used to develop cultural competence among 11 occupational therapy practitioners. The online components included activities to increase knowledge, skills, comfort, awareness, and resources for practice settings. A pre-test/post-test format using the Clinical Cultural Competency Questionnaire (CCCQ) was used to gather quantitative information. RESULTS: The outcomes of this study indicate that completion of evidence-based educational modules on cultural competency can increase knowledge, skills, comfort, and awareness for occupational therapy practitioners, providing an impetus for further exploration. The highest percent of change from pre to post survey was in knowledge (150%) related to cultural competence following the completion of the intervention. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Because health care professionals have an ethical responsibility to be culturally competent, this article highlights how advantageous it is for healthcare professionals to complete an online, evidence-based course to increase their self-awareness and awareness of other cultures.

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