Page 96 - HA Convention 2015

Special Topics

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

Monday, 18 May Palliative Care in Children with Cancer – 6P Occupational Therapy Approach
Chan BCM
Occupational Therapy Department, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong

Children suffering with life-limiting and life threatening illness such as cancer need support and long-term care in a
palliative setting. The focus of paediatric palliative care is the child, family, their need and support. The approach adopted
by paediatric palliative occupational therapist (OT) is different from usual therapeutic approach which works towards
improvement, independence and discharge because the child deteriorates, loses skills over time, and is not discharged. The
palliative paediatric OT adopts a holistic approach, utilising a wide range of skills and expertise, and focuses on the quality
of life, physical and psychological impact of the condition on the child and family. The Canadian Model of Occupational
Performance-Engagement (CMOP-E) is a framework used by OT to enable children’s participation and performance in the
everyday childhood occupations of self-care (dressing, feeding, functional mobility), productivity (school tasks, routines) and
leisure (playing). The uniqueness of the paediatric palliative care is illustrated by the 6P Occupational Therapy approach.

6P Occupational Therapy Approach in Paediatric Palliative Care
• Patient-centred: paediatric patients and parents;
• Partnership and Participation: collaboration with Children’s Cancer Foundation (NGO) from hospital to community;
• Performance: occupational performance;
• Play: developmental play, expressive play, diversional play;
• Psychological/Physical support;
• Proficiency: expertise in clinical knowledge and skills

Since 1995, three major public hospitals (Prince of Wales Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Queen Mary Hospital) have
been providing paediatric cancer care in Hong Kong. Until recent years paediatric palliative care has been developing in
occupational therapy service. Through collaboration with Children’s Cancer Foundation (CCF), OT plays a unique and active
role in delivering paediatric palliative care from hospital to community.

ST5.3 Allied Health I — Collaborative Service Programmes 13:15 Theatre 2

Allied Health Integration and Collaboration – Integrated Neurological Rehabilitation Centre
Cheng SWC 1, Leung CYY 2
1Occupational Therapy Department, Princess Margaret Hospital/North Lantau Hospital, Hong Kong
2Physiotherapy Department, Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong

BackgroundHOSPITAL AUTHORITY CONVENTION 2015

With the generous support from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the Integrated Neurological Rehabilitation
Centre (INRC) in Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) was set up and has been in operation since early 2014. Besides the
introduction of high technology equipment such as Robotic Rehabilitation, Virtual Reality and Trans-cranial Magnetic
Stimulation; the adoption of integrated team approach involving rehabilitation specialist and allied health professionals, the
Centre also integrates the previously scattered Physiotherapy (PT) and Occupational Therapy (OT) Departments in the same
area by sharing some common facilities.

Learnings on Integration and Collaboration

The whole process including planning, fund bidding, project design and actual implementation took three years. This
presentation will focus on the learnings of PT and OT during the process, specifically on the factors of successful integration
and collaboration.

(1) Re-focus: Both PT and OT need to shift their focus from individual professional service development to one common
goal – smooth operation of INRC and neurological rehabilitation development in PMH.

(2) Expectation from hospital management: The hospital management set a very clear direction for the integration and close
collaboration between PT and OT for patients’ benefits. They had actually given up their convenient office site for the
INRC, so both PT and OT are obliged to make this a success.

(3) Share and sacrifice: Common facilities, information, care plan, documentation and even clerical support are shared in
the INRC. During the process, both parties need to sacrifice their own views.

(4) Patient-centred: Gaps in opinions sould be narrowed or bridged when the focus is on the patients’ benefits.

(5) Extra mile: Extra effort to understand other’s view points and communicate one’s own ideas are required especially at
the early stage of collaboration.

(6) Communication: With two departments in the same area, the communication barrier is physically removed. The ease of
communication is also heightened by the use of electronic platforms for sharing of information, joint patient assessment,
clinical conference and social gatherings.

(7) Trust building: The belief and mutual trust that success can be achieved by both professionals without jeopardising each
other’s development is another crucial success factor.

94 Conclusion

The ultimate learning during the process of integration and collaboration is “RESPECT”.