KJC Korea
Journal Central

Objective : It is to suggest a define the essential competencies for an occupational therapist, as well as clearly defining required tangible and intangible competencies. Methods : A comprehensive analysis of relevent data (related to occupational therapy competencies), and a draft for Korean occupational therapy essential competencies was drawn up with the acquired and derived results. With an invited group of experts of the field and related professionals, through a workshop setting, modifications and alterations were made. Results : The final draft consisted of the essential competencies for occupational therapy in Korea, divided into 7 units, 20 elements, and 71 performance criteria. Using the characteristics in the information, if occupational therapy competency evaluation is limited, and only being evaluated through education and national licensing exam, then core occupational therapy competencies should be evaluated through occupational therapist professional attitude, practice, occupational process management, professional development and education, and responsibility and ethics, with the weaker components being attitude, responsibility and ethics, and the representative aspect being overall process management. Conclusion : A suggestion to establish differentiated curriculums to maximize student’s performance abilities is being made, using the research as a way to introduce educational programs to the shift toward practice centered curriculums.

Objective : The aims of the present study were to investigate the job characteristics for Korean school based occupational therapist, and to organize their job areas by surveying the criticality of duty and frequency of tasks. Methods : We established the job scope of school based occupational therapist through the advice of the Expert Group, created a questionnaire. Survey was conducted for the job characteristics and the validity of school based occupational therapists group (39 people) from November 2012 to March 2015. The questionnaire was consisted of two domains: Job characteristics (working status, a diagnostic classification, a service provision method and form of practical therapeutic support), and practice analysis (criticality, frequency of tasks, priorities). It was extracted an essential tasks which was more than average on criticality and frequency of tasks. Results : The circuit special class and the one to one individual therapy was the highest practical therapeutic support method and form. Common diagnoses of clients were cerebral palsy, intellectual disorder, and autism spectrum disorder. In the job analysis, the highest criticality and frequency of task was ‘the plan for school based occupational therapy’ on duty, and ‘the improvement of upper extremity function’ on task. The 22 essential tasks were extracted of entire 43 tasks. Conclusion : Results of this study will be the basis to organize the job area of the school based occupational therapist. Refresher training and regular education (school) for occupational therapist should be made central to the essential tasks extracted.

Objective : The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between sensory processing features and personality in early adolescents. Methods : For the present study, Adolescents/Adults Sensory Profile (AASP) and Personality Assessment Questionnaire (PAQ) were used. AASP and PAQ were executed for 150 middle school students between the ages of 13 to 15. Corelation between the AASP and PAQ was analyzed using Pearson’s correlation analysis. Results : The significant correlations between sensory processing feature and personality in early adolescents presented statistically (moderate to fair degree of linear relationship). As the result of corelation between AASP and PAQ scores, sensory sensitivity had moderate relations with emotional instability, and fair degree relations with emotional unresponsiveness (p＜.01). Sensation avoiding had fair degree of relationship with emotional instability (p＜.01). Low registration had moderate relations with emotional instability, aggression, and fair degree of relationship with low self-esteem and negative self-adequacy (p＜.01). Sensory seeking was also moderately strong related to emotional instability, and fairly strong related to aggression (p＜.01). Conclusion : The sensory processing features were related to personality in early adolescents were significantly. Emotional instability affecting the sociality and developmental tasks of junior high school students had strong corelation to each sensory processing feature.

Objective : To investigate experience and coping strategies on wheelchair mobility in the community for people with spinal cord injury through phenomenological method. Methods : Five people with spinal cord injury performing independent wheelchair mobility in the community were recruited. The data were collected through face to face interview. The content of the interview was recorded, transcribed and analyzed according to Giorgi’s analysis method. Results : The content was organized into 4 theme, 12 main meaning and 48 meaning units. Experience on wheelchair mobility in the community involves physical environment, social environment, personal context, related service and natural contexts. Theme about change, and coping strategies involve developmental change, choice of environment and withdrawal. Expectation for society involve expectation about physical environment, national system and service. Conclusion : To improve safety and accessibility for clients with spinal cord injury, detailed approach to physical environment will be needed. To improve social environment, non-disabled people need to have conscious effort and emotional support for disabled people. Along with personal and organizational effort of the occupational therapists, social and national support are needed.

Objective : The purpose of this study was to survey perceptions and practices in infection control among occupational therapists who perform dysphagia rehabilitation. Methods : This study was to surveys were implement occupational therapists who perform dysphagia rehabilitation. Before filling up the questionnaire, respondents were given the explanation about the aim of the survey, and they agreed to it. In total, 423 copies of the questionnaire were distributed, and 356 copies were collected, and 345 copies were used in the analysis excluding 11 copies on which respondents omitted to answer many questions. Results : The result of the survey to targeting the overall occupational therapists were found to perform hand hygiene activity like washing hands well, but, there are some significant differences in different treatment areas like child rehabilitation and adult rehabilitation, and depending on clinical careers. And, in the use of private protective gear, they were found to be the most negligent in wearing masks and private protective clothing. Conclusion : While hand-washing is performed well in general. But, there were some differences in the kinds of soap used, and hand-drying methods. In addition, the consciousness on using protective gear in performing dysphagia rehabilitation was found to have declined. Such findings seem to the results of declining frequency of infection control education on occupational therapists in the institutions.

Objective : This study applied a driving simulator training to stroke patients to identify its effect on the speed of visual and physical response. Methods : The study was conducted on three stroke patients for a total of 6 weeks. Of the study methodology, an AB design was used. During the study period, to each patient was applied 3 sessions for the baseline A, 15 sessions for the intermediate level making it a total of 18 sessions. During the baseline period only Dynavision was used to measure the visual and physical response speed of subjects, while during the intermediate period, Dynavision was conducted after a driving simulator training scenario randomly selected was applied for 30 minutes for three times a week. During the last sessions of baseline A and reassessment, a Trail Making Test (TMT) was carried out to verify the visual-motor processing speed. Results : All subjects that had undergone driving simulator training showed a statistically significant improvement in the visual response speed. Physical response speeds all showed improvement, with subject 2 and subject 3 showing significant improvement. In the TMT all subjects had improved. Conclusion : The application of a driving simulator brought improvement in the visual and physical response speeds of stroke patients and an improved visual-motor processing speed was also confirmed. Therefore, driving simulator training in stroke patients can be an effective mediation tool for safe driving, by identifying the risk factors in driving in advance and lowering the risk of traffic accidents.

Objective : Driving is an important activity affected by the motor and cognitive deficits after stroke. However, there is no standard, valid screening tool for stroke drivers in Korea. Thus, this study sought to validate the Stroke Drivers’ Screening Assessment (SDSA). Methods : The original Stroke Drivers’ Screening Assessment (SDSA) was adapted to the Korean Stroke Drivers' Screening Assessment (K-SDSA) by replacing UK-specific traffic situations and road signs with their Korean equivalents. K-SDSA scores from Korean healthy older drivers were compared to those from UK healthy older drivers as well as Korean younger drivers. Stroke participants were assigned to the eligible and ineligible groups for driving, based on their discriminant results from K-SDSA administration. Then their driving abilities were assessed using a driving simulator. Results : Korean older drivers’ scores were not different from UK older drivers’ and were lower than younger drivers’. Driving performance of the driving-ineligible group was lower than that of the driving-eligible group in various situations including urban, rural, and high-way roads. This suggests that K-SDSA could successfully predict stroke drivers’ driving performance. Conclusion : The current study suggests that stroke drivers are required to take K-SDSA before deciding to resume their driving to ensure their safe driving.

Objective : The purpose of this study was a meta-analysis on the effects of community-based intervention for activities of daily living performance in stroke. Methods : We using searches PubMed, MEDLINE and Cochran CENTRAL, RISS. The study used a PEDro scale for each section in the evaluation of the quality. Included studies were analyzed based on the sample size, pre-post mean difference and standard deviation, with 95.0% confidence interval. Results : Total 7 studies included for meta-analysis. Involved 388 participants. The effective sizes based on the stroke for ADL 2.63 which could be interpreted as having a “large effect size”. The results community-based intervention was statistically significant for ADL with stroke. Conclusion : Community-based intervention proved to be effective for ADL with community residence stroke. We suggestion community based intervention evidence for stroke in results. Also community based interventions should be variety and wide range for stroke.

Objective : The present study was conducted to examine the type of participants, their self-selected goals, and the outcome measures used in the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) approach. Methods : We systematically searched published studies in the EBSCOhost, Scopus, ProQuest, and Otseeker databases from January 2000 to October 2014. The keywords used in the search were ‘Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance’, ‘Cognitive Orientation to Occupational Performance’ and ‘CO-OP’. Results : The vast majority of children’s diseases were Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) and adults’ diseases were stroke and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). We analyzed the children’s self-selected goals; feeding was chosen the most in the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) area whereas formal educational participation was chosen the most in the education area. Analysis of the adults’ self- selected goals revealed that functional mobility was chosen the most in the ADL area and meal preparation and clean up was chosen the most in the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) area. Among the assessment tools, the most frequently used tools were the COPM and Performance Quality Rating Scale (PQRS). Conclusion : The CO-OP approach is a potentially effective approach that can be used for skill development and generalization in children and adults with disabilities.

Objective : The purpose of this study was to determine through a systematic review the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy for persistent primary insomnia. Methods : A search of six research databases (CINAHL, EBSCOhost, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Ovid, and PsycINFO) yielded eleven studies that met selection criteria. Articles were reviewed by two reviewers assessed the quality of the articles using PEDro scale. The average PEDro score of eleven studies was 6.3 points. Results : Stimulus control and sleep restriction were included in all studies. Among beneficial outcomes, improvement of total wake time, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and slow-wave sleep time were the most frequently reported. Cognitive behavioral therapy is effective for treating insomnia when compared with medications. Conclusion : Cognitive behavior therapy was more effective than the other psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy approaches relieving chronic primary insomnia in the studies. This evidence can be used to relive the primary insomnia in a clinical setting.