What makes rehabilitation personally-meaningful for people with chronic pain: An online knowledge translation resource for allied health practitioners
Katrina J Liddiard1, Annette J Raynor1, Cary A Brown2 1Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia2University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Abstract
Background and Aims: Evidence suggests that more positive outcomes are likely when clients perceive their rehabilitation to be meaningful. Recent research has shown that people with chronic pain view rehabilitation as personally-meaningful when they develop a genuine connection with a credible therapist who they see as a guiding partner. The aim of this study was to examine allied health professionals’ experience of a web-based knowledge translation resource, which was designed to deliver this research.
Methods: A purposive sample of occupational therapists and physiotherapists were recruited to early career; experienced; and specialist therapist groups. They explored the online knowledge translation resource and then participated in key-informant interviews and focus groups. Transcripts were coded and thematically analysed.
Results: A heterogenous mix of gender and experience was represented by the 24 participants (12 occupational therapists, 12 physiotherapists). Four themes and 12 sub-themes emerged to show that the resource offered a positive user experience, which added translational value to enhance learning, and participants were highly positive about the future potential of the resource to translate chronic pain rehabilitation research for early career, experienced and specialist allied health professionals.
Conclusions: Participants’ experience suggests this knowledge translation tool targets learning needs for therapists with diverse professional backgrounds and experience. Therapists across different career stages and disciplines have common educational needs, however, specific groups received some elements better than others. This study offers important guidance on implementing eLearning and web-design principles to good effect in a chronic pain, knowledge translation strategy for allied health professionals.
Biography
Katrina Liddiard graduated as an occupational therapist in 1987, working in broad clinical areas which include chronic pain, burns and hand therapy. She helped to establish allied health use of non-invasive neurostimulation in Australia to support a holistic approach to pain management, founded a pain interest group for occupational therapists in WA and represented occupational therapy in interprofessional education. She is a full time academic at Edith Cowan University, teaching aspects of neuroscience, neurostimulation, and core occupational therapy skills. Katrina is undertaking her PhD to examine what makes rehabilitation more personally-meaningful for people with chronic pain.