SPD Therapists Present Research Findings To Improve Standard Of Care

Senior Occupational Therapists Sharon Sim and Kajal Ray Pradhan, and SpeechTherapist Rajeev Ranjan, from the SPD Therapy Hub, work with clients of varying levels of disabilities.

In helping to find ways to improve the standard of care provided by therapists, they relied not just on their experiences, but had undertaken research studies to back their recommendations.

They shared their research findings at the 2nd Singapore Rehab Conference held at the Singapore Expo and Convention Centre on 27 and 28 February. Here is a look at what was presented:

Rajeev Ranjan, Speech Therapist – The aim of the study was to develop and validate the objectives for a language stimulation home training activity manual used for children with hearing impairment in chronological age range of 2 to 6 years. The findings showed that the home training activity manual was a useful tool for parents and caregivers to use with their children.

Sharon Sim, Senior Occupational Therapist – Therapists will usually make a visit to the home of a patient to determine if adaptations might be appropriate. However, this approach can be time consuming. This study proposed an alternative – “The Use of Digital Photographs taken by Family Member as an Alternative to Home Visits.” Rather than the therapist making personal trips to the client’s home, a family member will take digital photographs of the client’s home environment so that the therapist could make recommendations based on the photographs. This approach saves both time and money.

Kajal Ray Pradhan, Senior Occupational Therapist – For his research topic, “The Effects of Modified Bilateral Arm Training with Rhythmic Auditory Cueing for Improving Upper Limb Motor Function in Patients with Chronic Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Study”, Mr Pradhan tested a newly-designed exercise equipment which required users to use both their arms to operate. He focused on patients who had been diagnosed with chronic stroke for more than six months. His research, which was conducted at SPD’s Rehabilitation Centre, showed very promising results as improvements were seen in those who used the equipment.

Demonstrating the effectiveness of treatment activities through the results of a scientific research study contributes to the establishment of evidence-based practices. It is important for therapists to use treatment activities with a proven record when helping their clients improve.

Studies such as those conducted by the therapists help to improve the standard of care provided by therapists. SPD is proud of their contributions to their fields. “Participating in the conference not only broadened our horizon on what is currently being done in terms of patient care. It keep us up to date with the latest development in the industry and also motivates us to do better and more for our clients,” said Sharon who has been with SPD for five years.