Learn@Lunch: Developing a continuing professional development programme to raise knowledge and awareness of drinking alcohol as an occupation in later life.
Fiona Maclean, Jenna P Breckenridge, Anthony Schrag and 3 others
PMID 40336847WHAT IT FOUND
Eight acute occupational therapists described feeling more confident about asking older patients about drinking after a lunchtime CPD programme, and the initial assessment was changed to include an alcohol question, though time pressures and hesitancy remained.
Key findings
01Therapists described ongoing hesitancy to ask older patients about drinking unless it was documented or raised by family.
02Participants reported feeling more confident asking about alcohol after the programme, while still feeling overwhelmed by time and bed pressures.
03The occupational therapy initial assessment was changed to include a question about drinking alcohol after the programme.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Eight occupational therapists volunteered from a service with 35 occupational therapists, and six took part in the post focus group, so the themes are from a small group of volunteers. The study reports therapists' experiences and described practice changes, not patient outcomes. There was no control group or comparison, so changes cannot be separated from the workshops, the local champion, lunchtime delivery, provided materials, or service-manager support. The setting was an acute occupational therapy service in Scotland, and pandemic restrictions affected delivery and activities.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The research was funded by an Elizabeth Casson Trust Implementation Study Grant.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the workshops alone improve patient outcomes or reduce alcohol harm. This was a small qualitative evaluation of eight occupational therapists' experiences in an acute service, and the programme also included a local champion, provided lunch, advance materials and service-manager support.