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Occupation-based practice (OBP) is central to the practice of occupational therapists where occupations or meaningful activities become the focus of the assessment, intervention, and outcomes measurement process. Although occupational therapists practising in Thailand claim that they engage in OBP, this claim warrants empirical investigation. This study aimed to investigate the experiences and perceptions of hospital-based occupational therapists of OBP within stroke rehabilitation. Utilizing a qualitative design, fourteen occupational therapists were recruited through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews until data saturation was reached. Each interview was recorded and transcribed verbatim, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Five themes were identified (1) Perspective towards OBP, (2) OBP as professional value and cultural identity, (3) Implementing OBP for stroke rehabilitation in hospital settings, (4) Environmental factors of using OBP in stroke rehabilitation, and (5) OBP in the service management. Occupational therapists perceived that OBP is important for professional identity. Using OBP provides positive changes in stroke clients. This study provides evidence that will help implement OBP into occupational therapy in Thailand.

PURPOSE:\ud Despite growth in rehabilitation research, implementing research findings into rehabilitation practice has been slow. This creates inequities for patients and is an ethical issue. However, methods to investigate and facilitate evidence implementation are being developed. This paper aims to make these methods relevant and accessible for rehabilitation researchers and practitioners.\ud \ud METHODS:\ud Rehabilitation practice is varied and complex and occurs within multilevel healthcare systems. Using a "road map" analogy, we describe how implementation concepts and theories can inform implementation strategies in rehabilitation. The roadmap involves a staged journey that considers: the nature of evidence; context for implementation; navigation tools for implementation; strategies to facilitate implementation; evaluation of implementation outcomes; and sustainability of implementation. We have developed a model to illustrate the journey, and four case studies exemplify implementation stages in rehabilitation settings.\ud \ud RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS:\ud Effective implementation strategies for the complex world of rehabilitation are urgently required. The journey we describe unpacks that complexity to provide a template for effective implementation, to facilitate translation of the growing evidence base in rehabilitation into improved patient outcomes. It emphasizes the importance of understanding context and application of relevant theory, and highlights areas which should be targeted in new implementation research in rehabilitation. Implications for rehabilitation Effective implementation of research evidence into rehabilitation practice has many interconnected steps and a roadmap analogy is helpful in defining them. Understanding context for implementation is critically important and using theory can facilitate development of understanding. Research methods for implementation in rehabilitation should be carefully selected and outcomes should evaluate implementation success as well as clinical change. Sustainability requires regular revisiting of the interconnected steps.

This article describes findings from a qualitative study of the experiences of female student veterans in the military and in college. Twelve women were interviewed from two public research universities. Findings revealed individuals “betwixt and between” the complex intersection of identities: in the military, grappling with a sense of self as soldiers and as women, and trying to figure it out; and in college, as undeserving veterans struggling with the social and cognitive dissonance experienced as students. Under implications, we discuss how the complexity of identity complicates our understanding and support of this population in college.

Communication and teamworking skills are essential healthcare professional skills, yet undergraduates exhibit reluctance to engage with group work, especially in interprofessional groups. The aim of the study was to investigate whether a virtual reality bomb-defusing simulator would enable students to gain these skills through an enjoyable and challenging scenario without profession-specific knowledge. Students took it in turns to play the role of the ‘Defuser’ immersed in a headset, while the rest of the group were ‘Experts’ with a printed manual, but no sight of the bomb. The task challenged students to relay obscure symbols and instructions to each other rapidly and effectively. A subsequent focus group explored the impact of the simulation on students’ perceived learning, engagement and communication skills. The focus group of five multiprofessional healthcare students reported high levels of engagement and satisfaction while highlighting value in developing communication and teamwork. The simulator nurtured initial group dynamics and team bonding. Evaluation data indicated that the intervention facilitated cooperation, team bonding and the development of good communication skills. This method of encouraging communication would fit well into an interprofessional learning session as a useful tool ahead of more technical and clinically based group work.The focus group of five multiprofessional healthcare students reported high levels of engagement and satisfaction while highlighting value in developing communication and teamwork. The simulator nurtured initial group dynamics and team bonding.

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the gastrointestinal tract at any point from the mouth to the rectum. Patients may experience diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, weight loss, abdominal masses, and anemia. Extraintestinal manifestations of Crohn's disease include osteoporosis, inflammatory arthropathies, scleritis, nephrolithiasis, cholelithiasis, and erythema nodosum. Acute phase reactants, such as C-reactive protein level and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, are often increased with inflammation and may correlate with disease activity. Levels of vitamin B12, folate, albumin, prealbumin, and vitamin D can help assess nutritional status. Colonoscopy with ileoscopy, capsule endoscopy, computed tomography enterography, and small bowel follow-through are often used to diagnose Crohn's disease. Ultrasonography, computed axial tomography, scintigraphy, and magnetic resonance imaging can assess for extraintestinal manifestations or complications (e.g., abscess, perforation). Mesalamine products are often used for the medical management of mild to moderate colonic Crohn's disease. Antibiotics (e.g., metronidazole, fluoroquinolones) are often used for treatment. Patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease are treated with corticosteroids, azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine, or anti-tumor necrosis factor agents (e.g., infliximab, adalimumab). Severe disease may require emergent hospitalization and a multidisciplinary approach with a family physician, gastroenterologist, and surgeon.