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Background: In South Africa, the sharp rise in people with severe illness because of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in early 2020, meant that health systems needed to adapt services and operations, including rehabilitation services. Important insights into the lived experiences of rehabilitation personnel enacting these adaptations in an African context are limited. Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of rehabilitation practitioners working in the public sector in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A phenomenological approach and a duo-ethnographic design were used. A recruitment letter was circulated requesting volunteers. Maximum variation sampling was used to select the 12 participants of this study. Data were collected through interviews via Zoom, and critical conversations were facilitated by a non-rehabilitation partner who is known for challenging health inequities. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed through elements of qualitative content and thematic analysis. Data were coded, categorised, clustered into concepts and formulated into themes. Results: Three themes were identified: (1) 'Management became the enemy', (2) 'Tired of being resilient' and (3) 'Think out of the box...think on our feet'. Conclusion: The results of this study highlighted new ways of practice, innovative adaptations, and usage of resources and platforms. Contribution: This study highlights the re-imagining of accessible rehabilitation services that could lead to deeper onto-epistemological shifts amongst the rehabilitation practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concepts of "optimal posture (OP)" and "harmful posture (HP)" are commonly used, and specific spinal postures can contribute to back pain. However, quantitative descriptions of optimal and harmful standing (StP) and sitting (SP) postures are currently lacking, particularly for different body mass indices (BMIs). Therefore, this study aimed to identify and quantify the OPs and HPs of StP and SP at different BMIs and investigate the attitudes and beliefs of rehabilitation practitioners toward OPs and HPs. Overall, 552 rehabilitation practitioners were recruited to participate in a questionnaire survey to select the optimal position from seven sitting and five standing postures for each BMI healthy volunteer. The segmental relationships of each posture were qualified using the Vicon software. For normal BMI, the physiotherapists chose two SPs (48.19% and 49.64%) and one StP (80.42%) as the OP. One sitting SP (83.7%) and two standing StPs (43.48% and 48.19%) were selected as optimal for obese BMI. All the most commonly selected OPs had an upright lordotic posture, while the postures with slouched spinal curves or forward head postures were almost all selected as HP. Additionally, 96.74% of participants considered education about optimal SP and StP to be "quite" or "very" important. The OP of the StP and SP postures was mostly based on the vertical alignment of gravity lines and sagittal balance. For obese people, the rehabilitation practitioners' observations may be erroneous, and further physical examination is necessary. Rehabilitation practitioners generally believe that postural education is essential in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper has three objectives: first, to examine the historical foundations of the social representation of French physiotherapy; second, to explore the holistic dimension of physiotherapy care addressed by physiotherapists in our survey; third, to disseminate the research design in social science. A literary text by a founder of French physiotherapy was transcribed and examined by lexicometry. The analysis revealed the avant‐garde philosophy of care developed by Dolto in the 70s: a merged model of care and a unique evidence of systems thinking that distinguishes the empirical practice of professionals working according to a functional rehabilitation logic. We argue that the introduction of systems theory into the initial or continuing education of these practitioners could make its bio‐psycho‐social application more effective. This calls for further research on rehabilitation practices in other cultural contexts and provides a theoretical basis and argument for the development of lexicometry in the social sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rehabilitation for persons who use drugs in the Philippines is premised on a multidisciplinary team approach to treatment, where delivery of services is collaboratively undertaken by physicians and rehabilitation practitioners. In 2013, a government-academe-civil society collaborative developed a customized training program for nurses, psychologists, social workers and other personnel involved in rehabilitation work. This 10-day accreditation course covered modules on understanding drug dependence, assessment, management of drug abuse and dependence, and drug rehabilitation work. Participants also had the opportunity to handle cases through a practicum. Between 2013 and 2016, eight training sessions were implemented for 252 rehabilitation practitioners from almost all of the Philippines' administrative regions. A paired-samples t-test showed that there was a significant difference in the pre-test (24.58 ± 4.08) and post-test scores (30.37 ± 4.66) of participants to the training, t(152) = 16.5949, p = <0.0001. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Cancer survival is increasing as patients live longer with a cancer diagnosis. This success has implications for health service provision in that increasing numbers of adults who have received cancer therapy are requiring monitoring and long-term health care by a wide range of practitioners. Given these recent trends there is a need to explore staff perceptions and confidence in managing the consequences of cancer diagnosis and treatment in cancer survivors to enhance an integrated cancer service delivery. Objective This study examines the self-reported perceptions of competence in nurses and professionals allied to medicine providing survivorship services caring for adults after cancer treatment in both secondary and primary care. Design A cross sectional survey of the adult cancer workforce using a self-assessment tool for assessing confidence in providing long-term cancer patient management. This study was a health service evaluation. Setting The study was conducted within the United Kingdom. Participants Respondents were 618 health care professionals of these 368 were specialist adult cancer nurses in oncology and the community setting and 250 cancer allied health professionals. Method The survey tool was developed with experts in cancer management, nurses professionals allied to medicine such as physiotherapists and dieticians, educationalists, patient groups as well as health service managers. Competence was assessed in 4 domains clinical practice, symptom management, care co-ordination and proactive management. Perceptions of training needs were also ascertained. Data were collected using an Internet survey distributed through cancer services, community settings and professional institutions. Results In total 618 practitioners who responded were providing services for adults’ 1-year post cancer therapy. Practitioners felt confident in managing psychosocial care and communicating with patients. Deficits in self-reported confidence were found in long-term medications management, care planning, long-term and complex symptom management, for those providing dimensions of care coordination and proactive care. Differences in confidence were seen between practitioner groups. Community nurses felt less skilled in managing adult cancer patients long-term. Conclusions Nurses and allied health professionals self-reported confidence, in managing all areas of care for adult cancer survivors, is variable with deficits in important areas of practice. Despite this being a small proportion of practitioners who are working in cancer care, those responding had perceived gaps in knowledge and educational needs. In providing cancer aftercare there is a requisite shift to proactive care, supported self-management and collaborative management if patient's long-term consequences of cancer and its treatment are to be addressed. Implications for practice If health care providers are to transform cancer survivor services then investment is required in education and capability planning across nurses, allied health professionals in both the hospital and the community setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Research indicates that having an active spiritual or religious life and sense of hope is highly protective against a wide range of problems throughout the life cycle. However the two important domains of spirituality and hope have received limited coverage in mental health rehabilitation literature. Therefore the authors sought to discuss the role of spirituality and hope for people with mental health problems, and propose a process for practice which uses these concepts. Methods: A discussion on the role of spirituality and hope in mental health rehabilitation is presented. The authors explore how spirituality has been defined in the literature, and its role in recovery from illness. The concept of hope in relation to spirituality and mental illness is discussed. Finally the authors propose how rehabilitation practitioners can apply these concepts in practice, in both assessment and interventions. Findings and conclusions: This article highlights the importance of including spirituality and hope in assessment and treatment in order to move towards a recovery-orientated health-care service. The role of hope in assisting practitioners to be sensitive to the spiritual needs of clients is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]