Editorial Comment

Abstract

Editorial Comment

The South African Journal of Occupational therapy’s (SAJOT) publication committee has been undertaking various activities to make the publication become better known to Occupational Therapists world wide. As readers will be aware SAJOT is listed on the EBSCO site. We have also recently updated our information on the OTDBASE and journals will also be found on the Search OT site. Also an agreement has been made between the Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa (OTASA) and the New Zealand Occupational Therapy Association whereby members have access to the publications of each. OTASA members are able to access the New Zealand journal through the OTASA web site. The major advance however is that SAJOT has been invited to submit an application to join the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) open access site. To be considered for inclusion on SciELO SA site a journal must have received a favourable evaluation from the journal quality peer-review panel of the Academy for Science in South Africa. The South African component of this site is said to be South Africa’s premier open-access (free to access and free to publish) searchable full-text journal database. It is therefore essential that we continue to improve the standard of the articles published in SAJOT.

The first article in this edition i.e. “Towards evidence based practice – A systematic review of tests and methods used in the clinical assessment of hypotonia”¹ is a systematic critical review article. It is exciting to note that this is the first time that we are publishing a critical review of the literature. The author used several formal tools such as the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement² and the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine (OCEBM) Levels of Evidence³, as tools to conduct this review. These are tools (as well as the others mentioned in the article) article are helpful in conducting evidence based practice evaluations and should be helpful to all occupational therapists as they search for the evidence that will enhance their practices.

The second article investigated the knowledge of and use of quality improvement methods in occupational therapy⁴. The research indicated that occupational therapists although they are aware of tools and methods used for quality management there appear to be challenges to putting this knowledge into practise. The various methods and tools used for quality management described in this article will provide useful information for all managers of occupational programmes.

A study that evaluated the rehabilitation programme and its functional outcomes that was offered to clients who had undergone a lower limb amputation, is described in article three⁵. These clients attended an out-patient rehabilitation centre in a peri-urban area of Cape Town. The results of this study are very comprehensive and will be useful in providing the evidence needed to improve service delivery and as well as to meet the needs of the clients.

The following two articles focus on the sensory system and the problems related to its dysfunction. The first one⁶ investigates the effectiveness of a two week programme which consisted of parent education and a sensory diet aimed at reducing the symptom of “fussiness” in infants with a regulatory sensory processing disorder. The sensory diet used the sensory integration theory of Jean Ayers. The study results, based on a pre and post intervention assessment indicated a reduction in the signs of “fussiness” in the infants. The information provided in this study could be of real assistance to these infants and their parents.

The second of the two articles focussing on the implications of difficulties in sensory processing, used a quantitative descriptive research methodology. The published “Sensory Profile” questionnaire was used to compare behaviours which measure problems in sensory processing in the different groups of children in the study. Data were collected from children with a specific language impairment and compared with the results of previous similar research carried out on children with autism and ADHD as well as normal children. The results of the sensory profile showed significant differences between the study group and normal children. Differences were also found between the study group and the other two groups. This demonstrated that the “Sensory Profile” can assist in discriminating between the different diagnoses.

The last article⁸ aimed to determine the continuing professional development (CPD) needs of occupational therapists, physiotherapists and dieticians in the Free State and the Northern Cape provinces. This was to inform the activities of the Clinical Skills Unit at the University of the Free Sate and the direction that it should take in providing relevant CPD activities to this group. There was an interesting difference between groups in that the dieticians preferred to have large group didactic activities whereas the occupational therapists and the physiotherapists preferred that the CPD input be more practical in its approach. Of concern was the finding that there was a degree of non-compliance with CPD among the participants.

References

1.     Naidoo P. Towards evidence-based practice – A systematic review of the methods and tests used in the clinical assessment of hypotonia. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2013; Vol 43:3. In this edition.

2.            The PRISMA Statement. <http://www.prisma-statement.org> (23 June 2013).

1. The Oxford Centre For Evidence-Based Medicine Levels Of Evidence, March 2009. <http://www.cebm.net> (30 September 2011).py
2. Robinson H, Botha A. Qulaity Management in occupational therapy. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2013; Vol 43:3. In this edition.
3. Frederiks JP, Visagie S. The rehabilitation programme and functional outcomes of persons with lower limb amputations at a primary level rehabilitation centre. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2013; Vol 43:3. In this edition.
4. Jorge J, de Witt PA, Franzsen D. The effect of a two week sensory diet on fussy infants with a regulatory sensory processing disorder. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2013; Vol 43:3. In this edition.
5.  van der Linde J, Franzsen D, Barnard-Ashton P. The sensory profile: Comparative analysis of children with specific language impairment, ADHD and autism. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2013; Vol 43:3. In this edition.
6. van Vuuren S, Nel M. A clinical Skills unit:Adressing the need for continued Professioinal Deceleopment (CPD) in th allied health professions. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2013; Vol 43:3. In this edition.

Marj Concha

Editor

SAJOT