Occupational therapy practice education: A perspective from international students in the UK.

Background: Numbers of international students enrolling on occupational therapy (OT) courses in Western institutions have increased. Previous examination of these students' experience of practice education is limited. Objective: To explore the opportunities and challenges experienced by international students in OT practice education. Methods: This study adopted a phenomenological approach, recruiting six individuals from three UK universities. Data from semi-structured interviews was given thematic analysis for result interpretation. Results: Participants identified learning OT in the workplace, working in a multidisciplinary team and personal and professional development as practice education opportunities. Language difficulties, differences in communication styles, multiple cultural differences and unfamiliarity with the National Health Service (NHS) were the main challenges. Good practice educators and supportive team members were the main contributors to positive placement experiences. Conclusions: Participants gained knowledge and skills from practice education that existing healthcare literature suggests they are expected to attain. Several challenges were highlighted regarding participation in practice education. The findings reveal a need to enhance practice educators' skills in supervising international students. Universities are recommended to invest time and resources in supporting the learning needs of these students. Significance: The first study to present international students views on OT pre-registration practice placements in the UK

Challenges in conducting community-driven research created by differing ways of talking and thinking about science: a researcher’s perspective

Increasingly, health scientists are becoming aware that research collaborations that include community partnerships can be an effective way to broaden the scope and enhance the impact of research aimed at improving public health. Such collaborations extend the reach of academic scientists by integrating a variety of perspectives and thus strengthening the applicability of the research. Communication challenges can arise, however, when attempting to address specific research questions in these collaborations. In particular, inconsistencies can exist between scientists and community members in the use and interpretation of words and other language features, particularly when conducting research with a biomedical component. Additional challenges arise from differing perceptions of the investigative process. There may be divergent perceptions about how research questions should and can be answered, and in expectations about requirements of research institutions and research timelines. From these differences, misunderstandings can occur about how the results will ultimately impact the community. These communication issues are particularly challenging when scientists and community members are from different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds that may widen the gap between ways of talking and thinking about science, further complicating the interactions and exchanges that are essential for effective joint research efforts. Community-driven research that aims to describe the burden of disease associated with Helicobacter pylori infection is currently underway in northern Aboriginal communities located in the Yukon and Northwest Territories, Canada, with the goal of identifying effective public health strategies for reducing health risks from this infection. This research links community representatives, faculty from various disciplines at the University of Alberta, as well as territorial health care practitioners and officials. This highly collaborative work will be used to illustrate, from a researcher’s perspective, some of the challenges of conducting public health research in teams comprising members with varying backgrounds. The consequences of these challenges will be outlined, and potential solutions will be offered

Internet Access and Empowerment: A Community-based Health Initiative

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether access to health information via in-home Internet technology can positively influence empowerment among residents of a low-income urban community. DESIGN: In-home Internet access and training were provided to volunteers, who, along with a comparison group, were interviewed prior to and 1 year after initiation of the program. Community-based participatory research methods were used to design and implement the intervention. SETTING: A 57-block area on the West Side of Chicago. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-five community residents completed all phases of the technology intervention. Thirty-five randomly selected neighbors of these residents served as the comparison group. INTERVENTIONS: Members of the intervention group received Internet access via WebTV, training, technical support, and access to a community specific health-oriented web page during the course of the study. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Intervention group members were similar to comparison group members in terms of empowerment at baseline. After receiving Internet access and training, empowerment related to health decision-making improved significantly in the intervention group. Similar changes did not occur in the comparison group. Affinity for and appreciation of information technology also increased in the intervention group but not in the comparison group. As a result, differences in attitudes toward technology increased between the 2 groups over time. CONCLUSIONS: Using community-based participatory research methods, we found that Internet access to community-specific and general health information can lead to increased empowerment and appreciation of information technology. These benefits accrued among the intervention group but not among a random group of their neighbors