Collaboration Aiming to Build Occupational Therapy research - CABOT

The Professional Services Directorate of the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Centre for Assistive Technology and Connected Healthcare (CATCH) in the University of Sheffield have come together in a classic Knowledge Exchange project to establish a clear opportunity for mutual research and development growth.  We share an interest in addressing the needs of people with functional difficulties and ambition to become internationally recognised for leading research in the field.

The Directorate have recently committed to a medium to long term strategy to become a clinical department with a strong research portfolio.  The Occupational Therapy (OT) services have patients who have a spectrum of functional impairments – that can last from the short to long term and who can benefit from Rehabilitative interventions and/or use of Assistive Technology. The breadth and depth of research experience in CATCH, which incorporates the Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology research group, at the University of Sheffield offers a step change prospect for many funded multidisciplinary research and development collaborative projects that will enable the combining of OT clinical skills , patient needs and CATCH’s knowledge. Thus while developing the research capacity of the OT service, CATCH will gain access to clinical collaboration and service users for impactful research.

This is an outcome project of and links in with research capacity building of CLAHRC YH.

Written by Dr Peter Cudd