Proposed Topic (Most preferred): :
Staff Engagement and Empowerment (motivating staff / teamwork / work revamp tackling manpower issue / staff wellness / OSH / retention)
Proposed Topic (Second preferred): :
Clinical Safety and Quality Service III (Projects aiming at quality service to patients and their carers)
Authors (including presenting author) :
Poon A, Chan WC, Ip WM, Lau M
Affiliation :
Occupational Therapy Department, Shatin Hospital
Introduction :
It's crucial for occupational therapists to be well-equipped to address urinary incontinence (UI) among geriatric patients, as it significantly affects their daily lives across various daily activities. Specialized training can enhance an occupational therapist's knowledge and confidence in managing UI within clinical practice. Although emerging evidence supports the role of occupational therapists in UI management, there remains a lack of established service provision and efficacy in local hospital settings. Addressing this gap could significantly improve the quality of care for older adults dealing with UI.
Objectives :
To develop occupational therapy program for older adults who have urinary incontinence and increase knowledge and confidence of occupational therapy practitioners working with older adults who have UI.
Methodology :
By pursuing these objectives, development of occupational therapy services for older adults with UI, included 3 parts: 1)Development of UI program and service for older adults in March 2023 - Conducted needs assessment to understand current practice and service gap related to UI. - Developed a structured program that includes assessment, intervention strategies, outcome measures, patient education materials, and caregiver support initiatives. - Created standardized clinical pathways that outline the step-by-step process for identifying, assessing and managing UI, integrating occupational therapy interventions seamlessly into the care continuum. 2)Staff training and engagement in August and September 2023 - Implemented specialized training for occupational therapy practitioners, focusing on the latest evidence-based practices, understanding, assessing, and managing UI. 3) Clinical application and outcome evaluation in September and October 2023 - Implemented the occupational therapy pathway and program of urinary incontinence for older adults.
Result & Outcome :
With 75.5% of Occupational therapy practitioner’s participation. Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test was used. The statistics reveal a significant improvement across various areas included: - Significant improvement of knowledge and competence in the use of screening and assessment instruments (Z=-4.78, P=0.00), identifying the need to adjust intervention techniques (Z=-4.59, P=0.00), determining intervention strategies & approaches (Z= -4.41, P=0.00) and understanding roles and contributions (Z= -4.39, P=0.00) reflect a profound impact on occupational therapists' abilities and efficacy. - Significant Increase (Z=-3.90, P=0.00) in UI related interventions following the training signifies a tangible shift in practice. A broad scope of application for the learned skills and addressing major patient diagnoses included deconditioning, dementia, post-stroke and falls. The diverse range of interventions and demonstrates a comprehensive approach to addressing UI, including assessment and screening (83%), carer education and training (57.9%), lifestyle redesign and empowerment programs (57.9%), prescription of aids and appliances (42.1%), provision of clothing design & modification (36.8%) and advice on environmental modification (10.5%). Conclusion: By implementing UI training program and strategies, the knowledge and confidence of occupational therapy practitioners working with older adults who have urinary incontinence was significantly enhanced, leading to improved care and functional outcomes for older adults with urinary incontinence.
