Page 95 - HA Convention 2015

Special Topics

ST5.1 Allied Health I — Collaborative Service Programmes 13:15 Theatre 2

Extending the Lifestyle Redesign Programme from Outpatient Settings to Patient Self-help Group – a New Monday, 18 May
Occupational Therapy Service Delivery Model
Leung KF
Occupational Therapy Department, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong

Since 2009, occupational therapists of Queen Elizabeth Hospital has introduced an Occupational Lifestyle Redesign (OLSR)
Programme to patients referred from the Pain Clinic. OLSR is one of the chronic disease self-management programmes
adopting experiential learning approach to facilitate “acceptance” and “adaptation”. Up to March 2015, more than 200
patients participated and completed the programme. Remarkable results in terms of pain adaptation were noted to a majority
of patients who managed to complete the programme.

One of the important factors hindering acceptance and adaptation is “occupational lifestyle dysfunction”, which means
that there are very few successful activities in their daily life supporting their physical and mental health. The three-month
occupational lifestyle redesign process is regarded as the start of the adaptation process of the patient. The achievement
made in the programme can energise a longer and a wider adaptation in all essential domains of patients’ life. Some of the
patients are able to go on with the process on their own, but many of them require further coaching, but of less intensity,
along their path of adaptation.

Instead of providing further support to these patients on an outpatient occupational therapy basis, another mode of
occupational therapy service delivery is put on trial. A patient self-help group consisted of patients “graduated” from the
OLSR programme is established under the Patient Resources Centre (PRC) of the hospital. The self-help group is named
“Joyful Club” and in Chinese “ 樂德會 ”. Only patients who completed the OLSR programmes are eligible to join the Joyful
Club. The occupational therapists involved in OLSR provide continual support to the self-help group with the help from social
workers of PRC.

The Joyful Club adopts a motto of “ 營樂尚德 ”, stressing the mission of pursuing happiness and providing services to
members. In 2014/15, Joyful club tries to maintain active members below 100 so as to ensure sufficient support to all
members. A group of 20 to 30 members are active core members who are responsible to run the club and organise activities
to members. Occupational therapists coach these core members to overcome individual physical and psycho-social
obstacles in their work, aiming to assist individual member to meet and overcome challenges in the process.

The Joyful Club organises bi-monthly gathering for all members. The gathering will be organised in the form of educational
talks, seasonal gathering, and sharing from members. Activity groups are formed throughout the year in the form of interest
classes so as to encourage members to leave their home, meet people, and have fun. The Joyful Club will organise several
group outings to encourage members to return to the community and the countryside.

The Joyful Club has been operating for four years. Major changes in the breadth and depth of adaptation are seen in
majority of the core members with chronic illness. A cost analysis was conducted and concluded that this alternate model
of occupational therapy service delivery is a service with low cost but great benefits. More details will be reported in the
presentation.

HOSPITAL AUTHORITY CONVENTION 2015

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