Proposed Topic (Most preferred): :
Enhancing Partnership with Patients and Community (Projects initiated to engage patients / carers / community to improve efficiency / quality of care)
Proposed Topic (Second preferred): :
HA Young Investigators Session (Projects to be presented by HA staff who had joined HA for 10 years or less)
Authors (including presenting author) :
Lee PY, Jim CH, Ho CM, Au KM
Affiliation :
Occupational Therapy Department, Tai Po Hospital
Introduction :
Occupational therapists play an essential role to identify suitable community resources to maximize patients’ functioning and community integration. ICCMW serves as a major community partner for psychiatric patients providing one-stop rehabilitation services such as social activities, day training and peer support. However, limited knowledge and exposure to ICCMW hinder patients' acceptance, resulting in service disengagement. This may lead to poor community adjustment and potential hospital readmissions. Therefore, OT in Tai Po Hospital collaborates with Tai Po ICCMW (Jockey Club Amity Place) through STEP offering additional preparation and engagement activities during in-patient phase to enhance patients’ knowledge and acceptance to ICCMW, ultimately promoting a successful transition.
Objectives :
To enhance patients’ knowledge, acceptance, and engagement with ICCMW.
Methodology :
Psychiatric in-patients who were receiving OT service in Tai Po Hospital were recruited in 4Q 2023. The project consisted of two components: (1) Preparation session – OT provided an overview of ICCMW through activities and discussion enhancing patients’ knowledge of the services, and (2) Roadshow – ICCMW introduced center staff and services to promote acceptance and engagement. Outcome measures included a 6-question knowledge quiz before and after the preparation session and a satisfaction survey (10-point scale) after the roadshow with ratings >=7 indicating positive responses.
Result & Outcome :
For preparation session, 2 sessions were conducted with 19 participants recruited. Participants showed significantly improved post-knowledge quiz results (Z=-2.700, p=0.007), indicating an enhanced knowledge in ICCMW. For roadshow, 1 session was conducted with 36 participants recruited. Participants showed enhanced acceptance to ICCMW, with 75% of them perceiving it as beneficial to mental health and daily functioning and 58% of them expressing an enhanced motivation to engage in its services in the future. Furthermore, 83% of participants showed better engagement to ICCMW, as evidenced by their increased familiarity with center staff. These findings suggested that the project had a positive impact on patients’ knowledge, acceptance, and engagement with ICCMW. Future project direction includes expanding target participants to patients in psychiatric day hospitals, incorporating experiential activities provided by ICCMW and collaborating with more centers in the region to provide patients with more opportunities for engagement and enhance smoother transitions after they discharge from hospital.
