Stroke survivors' experiences of rehabilitation:a systematic review of qualitative studies

Introduction: The aim was to obtain the best available knowledge on stroke survivors' experiences of rehabilitation. The increase in demands for accountability in health care and acknowledgement of the importance of client participation in health decisions calls for systematic ways of integrating this perspective. Methods and materials: A systematic review of qualitative studies was performed. A literature search in MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and EMBASE was conducted. Suitability for inclusion was based on selected criteria: published qualitative studies written in English from 1990 to 2008 on stroke survivors' experiences of rehabilitation in a clinical setting. Data analysis entailed extracting, editing, grouping, and abstracting findings. Results: Twelve studies were included. One theme, "Power and Empowerment" and six subcategories were identified: 1) Coping with a new situation, 2) Informational needs, 3) Physical and non-physical needs, 4) Being personally valued and treated with respect, 5) Collaboration with health care professionals and 6) Assuming responsibility and seizing control. Discussion: The synthesis showed that stroke survivors' experiences of rehabilitation reflected individual and relational aspects of power and empowerment. The capacity to assume power and empowerment was a dynamic rather than a progressive issue, and enabling empowerment was a matter of weighing contrasting issues against each other, e. g. the right to decide versus the right not to decide

Tablio: Realising Classroom Differentiation and Inclusion with Tablets

[Introduction] This eBook contains the intellectual outputs of the European Erasmus+ project called TABLIO (2016-1-BE02-KA201-017311). The Tablio-project aims to strengthen teachers and school in realising classroom differentiation and inclusion by the means of tablets and other mobile devices. All outputs were developed in the period 2017 - 2019 in close cooperation with teachers, schools, teachers educators and student-teachers in Europe. The following organisations were part of the project consortium: • PXL University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Belgium (lead partner) • Institut za Napredno Upravljanje Komunikacij, Slovenia • Istanbul University, Turkey • iXperium Expertise center Learning with ICT, Netherlands • Tell Consult, Netherlands • North-West Regional College, Northern-Ireland • CESIE, Italy This eBook contains 3 chapters. Chapter 1 describes the design toolkit for classroom differentiation and inclusion by means of tablets. Chapter 2 describes existing practices in European classroom, gathered early 2017. Chapter 3 describes the results of a design-based research approach in several European schools. All outputs can be found on the website http://tablio.eu as well. Besides English, the outputs are described in Dutch, Slovenian, Italian and Turkish

Belonging and quality of life as perceived by people with advanced cancer who live at home

Purpose: In previous research (Peoples, Nissen, Brandt, & la Cour, 2017), we explored how people with advanced cancer who live at home perceive quality of life, which pointed to the importance of relationships with others to the experience of quality of life. These emerging findings resonate with the theoretical conceptualization of belonging within occupational science, promting us to explore further how perceived quality of life may be associated with belonging when living with advanced cancer. The purpose was therefore to gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which belonging is perceived as an aspect of quality of life by people with advanced cancer. Method: The study employed a qualitative approach using a combination of qualitative interviews and photo-elicitation. A thematic approach was used to analyse data form 18 interviews and 77 photographs. Nine participants took part in the study. Results: The findings suggest that maintaining a sense of belonging was associated with quality of life and was expressed as a complex and challenging process when living with life moving towards its end. The data supported the theoretical dimensions of belonging noted in occupational science and contribute with knowledge about artifacts as mediators of belonging which may enable valued social connections as well as evoke existential and spiritual concerns at end of life. Implications in relation to OS: This study adds to knowledge within occupational science of how quality of life and belonging may be linked. However, there is a need for further research, for example to understand how artifacts may be linked to dimensions of belonging, and to understand the impact of potential negative connotation of belonging, such as feelings of isolation. Questions for discussion: How may research about quality of life from the perspective of people living with a life-threatening illness, add to knowledge of the concept of belonging within the occupational science literature? How may knowledge about potential barriers of belonging contribute to the concept of belonging in the occupational science literature? Key words: End-of-life, everyday life, photo-elicitation