COTOGA: participación, lucha y colectivo / COTOGA: participation, struggle and collective

Desde la creación de la Asociación Profesional Gallega de Terapeutas Ocupacionales (APGTO) en 1983, siendo la primera a nivel estatal, se luchó activamente en nuestra comunidad para tener una red organizativa fuerte y sólida que representase y defendiese los intereses de la terapia ocupacional. El camino realizado por la APGTO desembocó el 30 de octubre de 2017 al crearse el que es hoy, el Colegio Oficial de Terapeutas Ocupacionales de Galicia, una entidad pública con representación jurídica propia, organizada de manera altruista por una junta directiva liderada por terapeutas ocupacionales y creada con el fin de defender los derechos y deberes de las personas colegiadas y de la población susceptible de su intervención y, además de contribuir a la difusión y promoción de la actividad profesional de terapia ocupacional en sus diferentes ámbitos. (AU)

Since the creation of the Galician Professional Association of Occupational Therapists (APGTO) in 1983, being the first at the state level, there has been an active struggle in our community to have a strong and solid organizational network that represents and defends the interests of occupational therapy. The path followed by the APGTO ended on October 30, 2017 with the creation of what it is today, the Official College of Occupational Therapists of Galicia, a public entity with its own legal representation, altruistically organized by a board of directors led by occupational therapists and created in order to defend the rights and duties of the collegiate people and the population susceptible to their intervention and, in addition to contributing to the dissemination and promotion of the professional activity of occupational therapy in its different fields. (AU)

“Ser, hacer y llegar a ser” del consejo general de colegios de terapeutas ocupacionales (CGCTO) / Being, doing and becoming of the general council of occupational therapist colleges (GCOTC)

La nueva Junta del Consejo General de Colegios de Terapeutas Ocupacionales acabamos de embarcarnos en este nuevo desafío de seguir navegando por y para la Terapia Ocupacional. Siento que no vamos solas y que nuestro mayor deseo es que este viaje lo hagamos junto con el resto de compañeros/as terapeutas ocupacionales. Para mí, es la mejor manera de que entre todos/as podamos contribuir al crecimiento de nuestra profesión, cada uno desde su lugar, en esta realidad presente y de la mejor manera que sea posible. (AU)

The new General Council Of Occupational Therapist Colleges Board has just embarked on this new challenge of continuing to navigate through and for Occupational Therapy. I feel that we are not going alone and that our greatest wish is that we do this together with the rest of our partners occupational therapists. For me, it is the best way for all of us to contribute to the growth of our profession, each one from their place, in this present reality and in the best possible way. (AU)

The Relationship Between Core Members' Social Capital and Perceived and Externally Evaluated Prestige and Cooperation Among HIV/AIDS-Related Civil Society Organizations in China.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the core members' social capital was associated with individually perceived and externally evaluated prestige and cooperation among the HIV/AIDS-related civil society organizations (CSOs). To accomplish this, a cross-sectional study using multistage sampling was carried out in eight provinces of China. Data were collected from the 327 core members via questionnaires and self-evaluated performance of the respondents were evaluated and measured. The interviews were conducted with all core members and the supervisory staff of the local Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that social support (adjusted odds ratio [a OR] = 1.87) and organizational commitment (a OR = 1.57) were significantly associated with a higher odds of prestige performance in self-evaluation. Furthermore, social support (a OR = 1.65), trust (a OR = 1.33), and organizational commitment (a OR = 1.52) were significantly correlated with cooperation performance. Trust was positively associated with the cooperation performance on external evaluation. These findings may provide a new perspective on challenges that the CSOs face in response to a growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in China. Social capital may increase performance and accelerate organizational growth, ultimately improving HIV/AIDS prevention and care.

[Health Care for Refugees: Challenges and Opportunities in Hamburg]. / Medizinische Versorgung von Flüchtlingen: Chancen und Herausforderungen in Hamburg ­ ein Praxisbericht.

The massive increase in the number of refugees represents a great challenge to German cities. In Hamburg, 40 868 asylum seekers were registered in 2015, of which 22 315 remained in the city. The goal of the health administration is to provide primary medical care in response to specific health risks and needs of refugees while allowing them to be swiftly integrated into the standard health care system. Public authorities, charities and civil society are working hand in hand. In all reception centres in Hamburg, medical consultations with translation services are offered in fully equipped medical container practices. For every 1 000 refugees, a full-time doctor and a medical assistant are available. In addition to contractual staff, employees of contractually integrated hospitals are participating in the provision of medical care. Systematic collection of data on the health condition of the refugees as well as strengthening public health services are key factors in the planning and improvement of services in the future. Healthier living conditions and access to the standard health care system provide an opportunity to facilitate successful integration of refugees into society.

Evaluación de calidad de un servicio de voluntariado hospitalario en oncología: niveles de satisfacción de los pacientes de cáncer y sus familias / Evaluatrion of quality of volunteer service in oncology: levels of satisfaction of cancer patients and their families

Objetivo y método: evaluar el impacto del programa de voluntariado hospitalario a través de la importancia atribuida, el grado de satisfacción manifestado por los usuarios y la disposición a recomendar el servicio. Para ello se realizó un estudio de satisfacción realizado en dos fases. Estudio cuantitativo a través de entrevista personal con cuestionario semi-estructurado y estudio cualitativo a través de entrevista personal abierta. Resultados: Participaron 654 pacientes y familiares. En la valoración de la actividad voluntaria se obtiene una puntuación de (9,3) en pacientes (9,2) en familiares en una escala de 0 a 10. El 77% de los usuarios se muestra dispuesto a recomendar a otras personas el servicio de voluntariado obteniéndose un Índice NPS netamente positivo (+80). Los usuarios destacan de los voluntarios especialmente la amabilidad y el respeto por la intimidad (89% y el 82% respectivamente) y ofrecen una puntuación media de 9,2, y 9,4 en una escala de 10. Conclusiones: Se obtiene una valoración unánimemente positiva de la labor de los voluntarios y una gran disposición a recomendar el contacto con los voluntarios. La mayor utilización de los servicios de los voluntarios se vincula a una mejor valoración. Se concede mayor prioridad a la actividad de visitar a pacientes ingresados para acompañar y ofrecer apoyo emocional. La valoración de la labor desempeñada por los voluntarios es muy positiva especialmente en amabilidad y respeto por la intimidad. Los usuarios no demandan nada nuevo pero si incrementar la difusión del servicio, más voluntarios y ampliar el horario de atención

Objective and method: to evaluate the impact of the program for voluntary work at hospitals through the importance assigned, satisfaction level stated by users, and willingness to recommend the service. For this purpose, a satisfaction study was carried out in two phases: A quantitative study through personal interviews with semi-structured questionnaire and a qualitative study through open personal interviews. Results: 654 patients and family members took part. In the evaluation of volunteers, a rating of 9.3 is given by patients and 9.2 by family members, in a scale from 0 to 10. Seventy-seven percent of users is willing to recommend the volunteer service to others, achieving a clearly positive NPS index (+80). Users specially emphasize from volunteers their kindness and their respect for privacy (89% and 82% respectively) and provide an average rating of 9.2 and 9.4 in a scale of 0 to 10. Conclusions: Unanimous positive evaluation of the work by volunteers and great willingness to recommend the contact with volunteers is obtained. The increased use of the volunteer service is linked to better results achieved in the evaluation. Greater priority is given to the activity of visiting patients in hospitals to keep company and provide emotional support. The evaluation of the work performed by the volunteers is very positive, especially regarding kindness and respect for privacy. Rather than new specific requirements, users demand an increased dissemination of the service, more volunteers and extended service hours

The precariousness of the franchise state: Voluntary sector health services and international NGOs in Tanzania, 1960s - mid-1980s.

This paper challenges conventional narratives on the role of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) in the delivery of health services in Tanzania. Adopting an historical gaze which focuses on the 1960s to mid-1980s the paper argues that the 'franchise state' in the Tanzanian health system was not created by collusion between international donors and INGOs, underpinned by a set of health sector reforms that advocated the use of non-state actors; but was rather the legacy of the colonial health system bequeathed to the post-independence state. It was a system in which voluntary non-state actors (but, importantly, not INGOs) were already entrenched as key providers; and in which many of the features of the franchise state - fragmentation, structural weaknesses, lack of accountability to users - were already long established. But if INGOs did not create these features, as their critics attest, they did contribute to the maintenance and extension of these features. The short-term perspectives of NGOs, their small-scale piecemeal engagement, and the extra demands they placed upon their voluntary actor partners, left little scope for the development of sustainable, national and accountable solutions to the health needs of the country. In exploring these ideas, the paper contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the path dependency that created Tanzania's health system. The analysis also contributes to a deepening of the understanding of the make-up of the voluntary sector beyond a narrow gaze on the institution of the INGO.

Connecting local support: A qualitative study exploring the role of voluntary organisations in long-term condition management.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the role of community groups to support people living with long-term conditions and the organisational factors that influence this role. METHODS: Thirty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted with voluntary group organisers purposefully sampled in Greater Manchester from a local database of community groups. Interviews explored the organisations role in supporting people living with a long-term condition, their social networks and the origins of the groups. RESULTS: Respondents' construed their role in supporting individual capacity for management either explicitly (e.g. providing exercise) or implicitly (e.g. emotional support). This role was influenced by a combination of group ideology, funding and social networks. Analysis highlights the role of the non-clinical setting, the social support provided within the group, as well as organisational processes that influenced their capacity to support people living with long-term conditions. CONCLUSION: By examining the organisation of voluntary groups, this study highlights the way in which they may support or constrain access to an extended range of support for people with long-term conditions. This paper has implications for commissioning of services by the health service from the third sector because of the differing ideological perspectives and limited operational capacity.

Place integration through efforts to support healthy aging in resource frontier communities: the role of voluntary sector leadership.

Resource-dependent communities in hinterland regions of Australia, Canada and elsewhere are rapidly aging, yet many features that distinguish them (e.g., geographic remoteness, small populations, infrastructure built with younger persons in mind) also pose significant challenges for healthy aging. These challenges can lead to substantial gaps in access to formal health and social services, with negative implications for older residents aging-in-place and the development aspirations of resource frontier communities. In this paper, we explore the efforts of voluntary sector leaders to transform resource communities into more livable and supportive places for older adults. We offer a case study of two small towns in Canada׳s aging resource frontier; one forestry-dependent and the other dependent on coal mining. Our findings suggest that place integration develops through volunteer work and explains how voluntarism works as both a process and outcome of 'placemaking'. We argue that greater attention to place integration is needed to bring into focus the transformative potential of the voluntary sector in creating supportive and sustainable environments for healthy aging.

Motivaciones y características de los voluntarios trabajando con personas con enfermedad psiquiátrica / No disponible

La definición operativa de voluntariado hace referencia al trabajo desarrollado fuera de la familia inmediata, no renumerado directamente y elegido libremente. En España cada vez es más frecuente la presencia del voluntariado en el entorno socio-sanitario. Nuestro centro reúne las condiciones de centro socio-sanitario y desde 1995 se ha incorporado al equipo un grupo de voluntarios que trabajan con los pacientes hospitalizados. Todos nuestros pacientes son personas que padecen enfermedad mental. Predominan los diagnósticos de esquizofrenias, trastornos bipolares, trastornos de personalidad y demencias, entre otros. Con el presente estudio nos ha interesado conocer las características epidemiológicas que definen los voluntarios que trabajan en nuestro centro. Los coordinadores de los voluntarios deben conocer estos aspectos así como las motivaciones que les lleva a ser voluntarios con el fin de reclutar y de mantener a los mismos. Aspectos como la responsabilidad, la constancia, la motivación y la expectativa son de gran relevancia en los voluntarios que trabajan en este entorno (AU)

The operational definition of volunteering refers to work done outside the immediate family, not directly remunerated and freely chosen. In Spain it is increasingly common to see volunteerism in the socio-sanitary sector. Our center meets the conditions required of a social health center, and since 1995 a group of volunteers working with hospitalized patients has formed part of our team. All of our patients are people who suffer mental illness. Diagnoses of schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, personality disorders and dementia predominate. In the present study we were interested to know the epidemiological characteristics that define the volunteers who work in our center. Volunteer coordinators should be aware of these aspects and the motivations that led them to volunteer, in order to recruit them and maintain their collaboration with us. Aspects such as responsibility, perseverance, motivation and expectations are of great importance in the volunteers who work in this environment (AU)