Collaboration Aiming to Build Occupational Therapy research (CABOT 2) dissemination events a great success

In July, two events were held to bring the funded Collaboration Aiming at Building Occupational Therapy research (CABOT) 2 to a close. Following the very successful CABOT 1 project that generated over 70 ideas, in CABOT 2 just five were selected to take forward to prepare funding bids.  This collaboration was between CATCH and the Occupational Therapy Department at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

The five mini projects all aimed to obtain vital information to help prepare bids for R&D funding. The topics were around:

·       Preventing unnecessary sight loss;

·       Reducing the need for hospital therapists having to visit patients’ homes;

·       Identifying patient populations who could benefit from using speech to control digital technology while in the hospital or at home;

·       Devising a way to calculate therapist staffing levels in acute services for effective operation;

·       Exploring the decision making that both professionals and patients make when considering the use of telehealth.

Collaborating staff from The University of Sheffield and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust attended both events where posters for each topic presented what had been done and learnt. A sixth poster presented learnings about effective collaboration during CABOT 1 and 2.

The first event was held in Mappin Hall at The University of Sheffield where public involvement representatives joined academics and Research and Innovation Services staff in hearing about and discussing the five topics. There were very lively (and loud) discussions. Those new to CABOT felt that a lot had been achieved from limited funding; focussing on future bids had produced really positive outcomes.

The second event held at Northern General Hospital attracted a mix of Nurses, Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists. The non-OTs brought new dimensions to the discussions of the topics and the suggestion that the CABOT approach should be broadened out to cover wider disciplinary/professions input.

All involved in the projects intend to continue the collaborations put in place by CABOT 1 & 2.

More information on CABOT 2 can be found here or alternatively, please contact Laura Murray.

Written by Dr Peter Cudd