BackgroundProfessional collaboration between traditional and allopathic health practitioners in South Africa is proposed in the Traditional Health Practitioners Act and could benefit and complement healthcare delivery.ObjectivesTo explore and describe the collaborative relationship between allopathic and traditional health practitioners regarding the legalisation of traditional healing, and these health practitioners’ views of their collaborative and professional relationship, as role-players in the healthcare delivery landscape in South Africa.MethodsA qualitative design was followed. The research population comprised 28 participants representing three groups: allopathic health practitioners (n = 10), traditional healers (n = 14), and traditional healers who are also allopathic health practitioners (n = 4). Purposive and snowball sampling was used. Data collection involved unstructured interviews, a focus group interview and modified participant observation.ResultsResults indicate both allopathic and traditional health practitioners experienced negative attitudes towards each other. Mutual understanding (in the form of changing attitudes and communication) was considered crucial to effective collaboration between these two health systems. Participants made suggestions regarding capacity building.ConclusionsConsidering realities of staff shortages and the disease burden in South Africa, facilitating collaboration between allopathic and traditional health practitioners is recommended. Recommendations could be used to develop strategies for facilitating professional collaboration between traditional and allopathic health practitioners in order to complement healthcare delivery.

Introduction: Assessment is critical for measuring improvement, or lack thereof, and demonstrating the outcome of intervention. In response to the lack of research in this area, this study aimed to determine the assessment practices of occupational therapists working with clients with hand conditions. Methods: A quantitative cross sectional survey design was used. A convenience sample of occupational therapists was recruited from five provinces. Respondents completed a questionnaire developed for the study that comprised demographic information, assessments used, frequency of use and factors influencing assessment choice. Data were analysed with Statistica version 11. Results: Eighty-one respondents (n=114) completed questionnaires representing a 71% response rate. Goniometry (84.0%), manual muscle testing (76.5%) and testing for flexor tendon function (76.3%) were used most frequently. The most common reasons for not using assessments were lack of availability and unfamiliarity. Conclusion: It is of concern that the assessment practices of participants in this study focussed primarily on the assessment of body function and structure with few therapists using activity and participation measures. This could seriously limit the evidence needed to verify the outcomes achieved through occupational therapy intervention in the treatment of hand conditions.evidence of the interventions provided 5 . If therapists do not assess, they will not be able to produce evidence of the effects of the interventions offered which poses a threat to funding of services. This claim is supported in the Western Cape Department of Health Healthcare 2030 plan 6 that states that there will be an increased move towards outcome based intervention with priority being given to interventions aimed at desirable outcomes. At the time of conducting this study, no research to determine the assessment practices of occupational therapists working with hand conditions within South Africa had been published. Assessment practices are understood to encompass the type of assessment used, the frequency of use and the reasons for non-use within a particular area of practice. This study therefore set out to provide an updated account of these practices by South African occupational therapists working with clients with hand conditions. LITERATURE REVIEWA client-centred approach should be applied in assessment to obtain a "careful understanding" of the individual before starting occupational therapy intervention 7:253 . This type of approach is more likely to ensure that the client is engaged in the occupational therapy process which will encourage greater client cooperation 8 . In a client-centred approach, the client and therapist work together to establish the occupational performance problems and to set goals for the required intervention. Assessment has to take place for this to be possible. Standardised assessment provides quantitative information, useful for tracking the client's progress and demonstrating the outcome of therapy 44United Kingdom the au...

Results: Clients commented on the emotional impact that participating in rehabilitation had had on them and on the physical changes it had brought about. Clients experienced a high level of satisfaction with the service and enjoyed participating in rehabilitation.The knowledge, skills and confidence that they gained enabled them to be more independent in Daily life activities and to share this knowledge with others in their community. Conclusions:The results emphasise the importance of providing rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities that are based in their community. It will be useful in further service and policy planning for persons with disabilities. feelings regarding his or her dependence (or independence). This research set out to obtain information on the user outcomes of the rehabilitation service users.

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The ecological systems theory and the buffering effect model both suggest that the absence of a multi-systemic conceptualisation of supporting parents of children in conflict with the law (CCL) diminishes the impact of traditional generic efforts to meaningfully buffer parents of CCL during the child justice process. This participatory qualitative study involved parents of CCL and child justice officials as co-constructors of a practice model for supporting parents of CCL. The co-constructed practice model shows that parents must have access to informational, emotional, practical and professional support prior to, during and after the child justice process..