No abstract

A report on research prospects for occupational therapists employed In Southampton was commissioned by the Director of Occupational Therapy Practice. This article relates the comments gleaned from Interviews with 25 people. Obtaining r~arch training and the lack of a career structure were discussed. Acknowledgement was made of the dilemma facing occupational therapists Inasmuch as research Is required to Justify occupational therapy to purchasers whilst at the same time managing heavy clinical caseloads so that contracts can be met. Occupational therapy managers were concerned that, If research was conducted by existing members of staff, these targets may not be met. The challenge for occupational therapy managers and clinicians Is to balance and address these needs skilfully. Subsequently, the second author reviewed the literature. The complementary literature review relates how others have viewed the relevance of research to occupational therapy, the provision of training, support and a career path for research, and ways of synthesising research and clinical practice.

There is a growing demand that severely disabled children should be offered a normal-looking, comfortable alternative to highly supportive wheelchair seating to facilitate relaxation and social integration. An evaluation of five chairs, funded by Medical Devices Agency, an executive agency of the Department of Health, was undertaken with potential and actual users of these chairs to investigate the chairs' function with respect to the child's posture, and what features were effective. Twenty-nine children tried five chairs for up to 30 min in each; and a postal survey received 100 responses. The chairs seem to meet many users' postural needs (78% of postal survey; 31-72% of short-term evaluation depending on chair); the chairs' adjustability and availability of special features are important in meeting the needs of this user group; evidence of poor design and its implications are discussed.

The choice of appropriate equipment to promote patient independence and enhance nursing care is of major concern to the nurse in the ward environment. This article reports on a recent evaluation of specialist commodes, (Ballinger et al, 1994), with reference to the programme funded by the Medical Devices Agency, Department of Health, under whose auspices the project was carried out. The results of user evaluations and technical tests of six mobile commodes are presented, the preferred model being the Mayfair commode supplied by Carters (J&A) Ltd. The article concludes by identifying a number of important considerations to bear in mind when selecting a commode.

Those who spend many hours in a wheelchair benefit from having periods in alternative seating. For some, standard upholstered chairs do not provide enough support, so chairs with additional features are required. There are chairs offering such facilities on the market, but before the study reported in this article, they had not been systematically evaluated to determine their relative strengths and weaknesses.