scholarly journals An empirical investigation into the role of values in occupational therapy decision-making

2019 ◽  
Vol 82 (6) ◽  
pp. 357-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne Thomas ◽  
David Seedhouse ◽  
Vanessa Peutherer ◽  
Michael Loughlin
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Personal Experience ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Therapy Decision ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
Value Judgements ◽  
Psychological Influences

Introduction The importance of values in occupational therapy is generally agreed; however, there is no consensus about their nature or their influence on practice. It is widely assumed that occupational therapists hold and act on a body of shared values, yet there is a lack of evidence to support this. Method The research tested the hypothesis that occupational therapists’ responses to ethically challenging situations would reveal common values specific to the occupational therapy profession. A total of 156 occupational therapists were asked to decide what should be done in five common-place yet ethically complex situations, presented as scenarios for debate. Results The results show that while most occupational therapists share very general values, they frequently disagree about what to do in practice situations, often justifying their choices with different and sometimes conflicting specific values. In some cases, the same respondents espouse contradictory values in similar situations. Conclusion The extensive literature about decision-making – together with the study’s results – confirm that when occupational therapists make decisions, they draw on multiple factors, consciously and unconsciously. These factors vary between individuals. Value judgements are one part only of a complex process which includes personal experience, intuition, social influences, culture, psychological influences and relationships with both colleagues and clients.

scholarly journals Consciousness, decision making, and volition: freedom beyond chance and necessity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Liljenström
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Free Will ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
Neural Information ◽  
Neural Information Processing ◽  
Stochastic Population Model ◽  
The Brain

AbstractWhat is the role of consciousness in volition and decision-making? Are our actions fully determined by brain activity preceding our decisions to act, or can consciousness instead affect the brain activity leading to action? This has been much debated in philosophy, but also in science since the famous experiments by Libet in the 1980s, where the current most common interpretation is that conscious free will is an illusion. It seems that the brain knows, up to several seconds in advance what “you” decide to do. These studies have, however, been criticized, and alternative interpretations of the experiments can be given, some of which are discussed in this paper. In an attempt to elucidate the processes involved in decision-making (DM), as an essential part of volition, we have developed a computational model of relevant brain structures and their neurodynamics. While DM is a complex process, we have particularly focused on the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) for its emotional, and the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) for its cognitive aspects. In this paper, we present a stochastic population model representing the neural information processing of DM. Simulation results seem to confirm the notion that if decisions have to be made fast, emotional processes and aspects dominate, while rational processes are more time consuming and may result in a delayed decision. Finally, some limitations of current science and computational modeling will be discussed, hinting at a future development of science, where consciousness and free will may add to chance and necessity as explanation for what happens in the world.

scholarly journals The developing role of occupational therapists in school-based practice: Experiences from collaborative action research in Pakistan

2020 ◽  
Vol 83 (6) ◽  
pp. 375-386
Author(s):  
Debbie Kramer-Roy ◽  
Denise Hashim ◽  
Nighat Tahir ◽  
Areeba Khan ◽  
Asma Khalid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Collaborative Action Research ◽  
School Level ◽  
Collaborative Action ◽  
School Based

Introduction Occupational therapists around the world increasingly seek to support the participation of children with disabilities and special educational needs in mainstream education. Contemporary school-based occupational therapy practice is progressing from an individual, impairment focus towards collaborative, universal interventions at the whole class and whole school level. Participation-focused practice and collaboration is particularly important, but uncommon, in low-resource contexts such as Pakistan. Methods This article reports on collaborative action research that developed the role of occupational therapy in inclusive education in Karachi, Pakistan. A research team consisting of occupational therapists and teachers worked with five local primary schools, using the action research cycles of plan–implement–observe–reflect to develop practical strategies, materials and inclusive lesson plans to facilitate the participation of all children in all school-based occupations. Findings Support from school management and interdisciplinary collaboration were crucial for implementing change. In addition, strategies like inclusive lesson planning were found to benefit all children in class. Collaborative action research led to increased professional confidence in the teachers and occupational therapists, and skill development through developing a resource guide, running workshops and presenting at (inter)national conferences. Conclusion Collaborative action research was an effective means to develop the occupational therapy role in inclusive education practices in Pakistan, develop culturally appropriate educational resources, and upskill local therapists and teachers.

Considering Spirituality in Occupational Therapy Practice

1994 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Egan ◽  
M. Denise Delaat
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Occupational Performance ◽  
Exact Role ◽  
Therapy Guidelines

Despite its prominent place in the Occupational Therapy Guidelines for client-centred practice, the exact role of spirituality in clinical practice has been difficult to delineate. In this paper current concepts of spirituality are outlined and ways in which these concepts have been applied in health care are described. To illustrate these spiritual concepts, the experiences of individuals whom the authors have met in their clinical practice are outlined in a series of vignettes. Finally, a revision of the model of occupational performance which enhances consideration of spirituality in occupational therapy practice is proposed, and some guidelines for occupational therapists wishing to incorporate spiritual concerns in therapy are suggested.

What Is It Like to Be a Citizen?

In Our Name ◽  
2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Beerbohm
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Cognitive Biases ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Ethics Of Belief ◽  
Moral Obligations

This chapter defends a theory of citizenship that recognizes our need to make online decisions under electoral pressures, given our foibles as decision makers. Drawing upon the extensive literature on decision and judgment, it examines how fragile citizens are when it comes to decision making. The usual heuristics offered by political scientists suggest that citizens rely on informational shortcuts that are morally irresponsible. If we reconceive the role of the voter in explicitly moral terms, this approach is unsatisfactory in addressing the cognitive biases and defects of citizens. The chapter also considers the notion of cognitive partisanship and argues that it is unavoidable for decision makers to rely on heuristics when they reason about complex decisions. It concludes by emphasizing the task for a democratic ethics of belief: to provide citizens with heuristics that reduce the cognitive burden while respecting the moral obligations to attach to coercive, term-shaping decision making.

Emergency department presentations of people who are homeless: The role of occupational therapy

2017 ◽  
Vol 80 (9) ◽  
pp. 533-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Lloyd ◽  
Joanne Hilder ◽  
Philip Lee Williams
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Homeless People ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Hospital Emergency ◽  
Liaison Officer ◽  
Drug And Alcohol

Introduction This project had two aims: to gain an understanding of the profile and expressed needs of people seen by the Homeless Emergency Department Liaison Officer in the emergency department in comparison to general hospital presentations, and to explore the potential role for occupational therapy to respond to this population. Method The Emergency Department Information Systems database and Homeless Emergency Department Liaison Officer files were examined to gather data on all individuals who presented to the hospital emergency department over a 16-month period. The viability of a discipline-specific role to respond to this population was then considered by senior occupational therapists. Results The results revealed that the majority of homeless people seen were male and in the early middle age group, with more than half arriving at the emergency department by way of ambulance services. The most common reasons for presentation were medical, mental health and drug- and alcohol-related issues. Conclusion It was found that a large percentage of people seen in the emergency department were discharged back to the streets. Senior occupational therapists have the potential to provide brief assessments and interventions that could reduce the ongoing demand on emergency department resources by people who are homeless.

A Sub-Provincial Recipe of Coastal Development in China: The Case of Qingdao

1999 ◽  
Vol 160 ◽  
pp. 919-952 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jae Ho Chung
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Foreign Capital ◽  
The State ◽  
Coastal Development ◽  
Investment Banks ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
Developmental Intervention

No monocausal explanation will suffice to account for the complex process of economic development. At different times and under different politico-economic circumstances, different combinations of actors and institutions are involved as agents of development, which include factories, investment banks, entrepreneurial bourgeoisie, foreign capital and the state. When “telescoping” the arduous process of development is the key imperative, the role of the state becomes particularly crucial in designing overall development strategies, governing the market by getting the prices wrong, and controlling the major sources of financing development. It should be noted, however, that the state is a multi-layered structure of authority with its own intra- and inter-governmental dynamics. As the extensive literature on the East Asian Newly Industrializing Economies (NIEs) almost uniformly adopts the highly encompassing term of state, it largely fails to differentiate the roles performed by the central and local governments in executing “developmental intervention.”

Perspectives from Tomorrow's Therapists

1980 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 117-118
Author(s):  
Linda Edgington
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Treatment Modality ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Scoring Systems ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Projective Technique ◽  
Systems Art

This paper presents a review of the literature on the use of art as a projective technique in occupational therapy. With respect to assessment, it outlines the use of art-oriented diagnostic batteries, the role of occupational therapists in interpretation of art, and the development of objective scoring systems. Art as a treatment modality for non-verbal patients is explored for the purpose of uncovering unconscious material for discussion, and as a media for the expression of anger.

scholarly journals The role of non-medical factors in physicians’ decision-making process in a pediatric telemedicine service

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 1152-1176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Motti Haimi ◽  
Shuli Brammli-Greenberg ◽  
Yehezkel Waisman ◽  
Nili Stein ◽  
Orna Baron-Epel
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Medical Decision Making ◽  
Medical Decision ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Medical Decisions ◽  
Telemedicine Service ◽  
Medical Factors ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
Clinical Scenarios

The complex process of medical decision-making is prone also to medically extraneous influences or “non-medical” factors. We aimed to investigate the possible role of non-medical factors in doctors’ decision-making process in a telemedicine setting. Interviews with 15 physicians who work in a pediatric telemedicine service were conducted. Those included a qualitative section, in which the physicians were asked about the role of non-medical factors in their decisions. Their responses to three clinical scenarios were also analyzed. In an additional quantitative section, a random sample of 339 parent -physician consultations, held during 2014–2017, was analyzed retrospectively. Various non-medical factors were identified with respect to their possible effect on primary and secondary decisions, the accuracy of diagnosis, and “reasonability” of the decisions. Various non-medical factors were found to influence physicians’ decisions. Those factors were related to the child, the applying parent, the physician, the interaction between the doctor and parents, the shift, and to demographic considerations, and were also found to influence the ability to make an accurate diagnosis and “reasonable” decisions. Our conclusion was that non-medical factors have an impact on doctor’s decisions, even in the setting of telemedicine, and should be considered for improving medical decisions in this milieu.

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