Occupational Therapy (OT) is traditionally associated with clinical settings; hospitals, rehabilitation centres, and community care. However, as medical technology advances at a rapid pace, the expertise of Occupational Therapists has become a familiar and recognised force within the medical devices sector.
Medical equipment must do more than fulfil a technical function; it has to fit seamlessly into a person’s daily life, routine and environment. OTs bring a unique perspective during the development of medical devices, helping to troubleshoot from clinical experience and expertise.
OTs understand human anatomy, pathology and daily function (Activities of Daily Living, or ADLs) better than almost anyone else, making them ideal for product design consultation and user testing.
OTs assess products through the lens of human function, not forgetting that one of our key skills is activity analysis. OTs ensure equipment accommodates diverse physical abilities, cognitive needs and sensory preferences, as well as understanding posture, pressure management and biomechanics. OTs can bridge the communication gap between engineers, procurement and clinicians in practice, translating complex technical specifications into practical clinical outcomes.
The role of Occupational Therapists at Accora
Accora has ‘championing dignity and enabling independence’ at its core. Supporting 80% of health trusts and community services in the UK, Accora works hard to keep the cost of equipment production to a minimum, without compromising important and often innovative design components.
At Accora, across the UK and Ireland, we are now a team of six OT Consultants, with a further three product trainers (two Occupational Therapists and one from a Physiotherapy background).
Some of the key activities OTs engage in at Accora
- Providing consultation to engineers on clinical challenges through the design process, and supporting evidence-based product validation.
- Developing and delivering educational content via the Accora Academy platform, including workshops, interactive clinical discussion forums and webinars that support peer clinicians on evidence-based practice for robust seating assessments, configuring seating products to meet complex postural limitations, and future-proofing equipment for changing diagnoses. We also provide regular lunch and learn sessions on important areas of practice, as well as clinical blogs. We now also have WhatsApp groups!
- Our clinical team provides face-to-face training on 24-hour postural care, as well as bespoke sessions, for example clinical reasoning, and moving and handling. In addition, we provide practical workshops on postural care and clinical application for both seating and profiling beds, including breaking down the assessment process and building up towards the component solutions to meet all needs identified.
- We are on hand to respond, consult and support external enquiries from clinicians or equipment providers encountering highly complex cases, such as clients with severe contractures or advanced neurological conditions.
- Trialling and recording outcome measures from case studies: summarising clinical practice trialling with new equipment and summarising key aspects of clinical suitability.
- We also provide private postural assessments to private individuals and residents in care and nursing home settings.
- One final and important note is that we have the opportunity to work alongside other clinical disciplines. At Accora we work closely with a team of three Tissue Viability Nurses who bring their expertise in their specialist field. This involves joint working on the delivery of training and sharing best clinical practice.
In my OT practice journey, having spent 20 years working in community services, I have had the opportunity to see the progress of innovative design and product development of specialist seating and profiling beds from Accora. It’s not only Accora’s mission to improve people’s lives and make a difference; they are also passionate about product quality and customer service. As a current employee of Accora, you might say I have a bias, and maybe so. However, having used their products in practice for many years, I see Accora as a unique front runner, standing out from other manufacturers.
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