Key ‘ingredients’ of the POINTER occupational intervention; supporting person-centered care, in practice and research. Bannigan, K., Akhurst, J.A.

Background
If you were unwell, would you want to receive therapy personalised to your needs? Importantly, the philosophy underpinning occupational therapy advocates this individualised approach. Secondly; how important is it, to know you receive interventions with the strongest evidence-base? Too often I hear “it is not possible to test the effectiveness of the person-centred approach due to its very nature”. However, testing is critical for the integrity and progression of occupational therapy; service users and carers deserve to have person-centred care, which is evidenced-based.

In the research arena individualised therapy is defined as a complex intervention. The evaluation and development of complex intervention research methodologies are becoming more sophisticated; supporting the robust testing of effectiveness (Medical Research Council 2008, Richards and Hallberg 2015). To achieve this, it is essential to illuminate how an intervention is making the difference?

Study objective
Explore the key ‘ingredients’ of the POINTER (Participation in Occupational Intervention Effectiveness Research) individualised occupational intervention to understand more about how it works in practice.

Method
This qualitative study formed part of phase two of a feasibility research project; a pre-post clinical trial of the POINTER occupational intervention, conducted across two centres, with service user and carer involvement and full ethical approval. Data was collected from occupational therapists providing the intervention via intervention logs and focus groups, and from participants through a participant questionnaire. Content analysis was applied.

Results
Three themes emerged: Every time a person-centred contact; Occupational needs formulation was the focal point and Enablement to do more, be active and be more. The enablers and facilitators to participation of activities of daily life were identified.

Conclusion
This study illuminated key ‘ingredients’ in the POINTER occupational intervention that enable participation in activities of daily life, to inform the development and preparation for its use in clinical trials and practice.

Learning objectives
1. Participants will gain a greater awareness about how a qualitative study was conducted within a pre-post clinical trial, to collect and analyse data about how the intervention works in practice.
2. Participants will gain a greater understanding and ability to articulate the key ‘ingredients’ in the POINTER occupational intervention, that bring about participation in activities of daily living.