Objective: To examine published qualitative studies that can inform occupational therapists about potential intervention targets to improve health outcomes in homeless communities. Methods: A search was conducted for pertinent studies in the following databases: PubMed, Ovid, and CINAHL. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed to extract relevant data. Only research published after 2011 in English-language peer-reviewed journals was included. Twelve of the 1,162 identified articles satisfied the requirements for inclusion. Results: Individuals experiencing homelessness had higher levels of food insecurity, mental health conditions, and inadequate management of chronic conditions than those with a stable residence, all of which were successfully treated through occupational therapy. Conclusion: The scope of practice of occupational therapists allows for holistic treatment approaches to address the biopsychosocial health of homeless individuals at all levels of need and suggests that occupational therapy intervention initiatives are appropriate to address occupational justice for this population

Objectives: This systematic review examined the association of animal-assisted interventions (AAI) with quality of life (QoL) for pediatric oncology patients, for potential use in occupational therapy practice. Methods: Articles published in peer-reviewed journals between 2002-2019 from PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT), Journal of Oncology, SCOPUS, and OTSeeker were selected for AAI with therapy dogs specific to the target population of pediatric oncology patients undergoing treatment in clinical settings. Results: Moderate evidence was found for AAI and mood improvement, pain reduction, and stress relief; and low-level evidence supported AAI for decreasing anxiety. The most significant AAI improvements were seen in perceptions of pain, stress levels, and mood. Discussion: Evidence suggests that occupational therapists may want to consider incorporating AAI into therapy sessions as it serves as a distraction and short-term coping strategy for children undergoing oncological treatment.

Introduction: Age-related co-morbidities are common among persons living with chronic Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). However, data are largely absent on the relationship between frailty and incontinence as related to falls—common age-related co-morbidities—among people living with chronic HIV (PLWH). Methods: To inform hospital-based Occupational Therapy (OT) services for PLWH, we performed a case-control study using extracted data from the electronic medical records of PLWH who had received OT at a large academic hospital. Two-hundred-and-four subjects were included in the final dataset; sixty-eight were cases that reported a fall within the last 12 months, while 136 were controls which were PLWH who had not sustained a fall. Results: The association between falls and frailty indicated that persons categorized as ‘pre-frail’ with balance deficits were more likely to fall (OR=2.77 [1.18-6.52]). Women who lacked insurance were less likely to fall (OR=0.38 [0.18-0.82]) and (OR=0.29 [0.09-0.88]) respectively. The association between incontinence and falls among PLWH were not statistically significant in a multivariate adjusted regression model (OR=1.38 [.59-3.22]). Conclusion: Our findings suggest further examination of the person factors of PLWH who are categorized clinically as ‘pre-frail’ or ‘frail’ may improve health outcomes and reduce falls when paired with occupation-based interventions.