Sept. 7, 2016 Europe Practice

Integrating occupational therapy into cancer care in the Netherlands

Reade – an organization specializing in rehabilitative care – introduced a package of services specifically tailored to the needs of cancer patients and cancer survivors; support from Reade’s management in developing protocols and negotiating with national-level actors was essential for the implementation of the initiative; providers within Reade were brought together to apply their skills to treating the complex needs of cancer patients and survivors. Providers work in multidisciplinary teams to enable the delivery of more comprehensive care; initiative leaders built strong working relationships with external providers. This helped bring other providers on board with Reade’s new care concept and generate referrals; a national occupational therapy network supported knowledge sharing and enabled the wider dissemination of lessons learned by the initiative.

Sept. 7, 2016 Europe Practice

Outpatient rehabilitation services for working-age patients with brain injuries in Bern, Switzerland

An outpatient rehabilitation centre specifically adapted to the needs of working-age patients recovering from brain injuries was opened in Bern; Direct clinical experience of the multi-professional leadership team helped draw awareness to service delivery gaps and aided the design of practical services to address observed needs; co-location of providers within the rehabilitation centre increased service coordination and improved access for patients, while external networking between providers helped generate referrals; gradual expansion of the initiative allowed time for sufficient resources to be collected and necessary partnerships to be established, ensuring steady and sustainable growth.