News from Austria – august 2010

The Austrian code of ethics is on its way to be finished. A working group around Irene Benke, the former Austrian COTEC delegate, has finished a first version, which is now examined for its practical value.

 In Upper Austria a pilot project on “OT survey in kindergarten” will start in September 2010. In cooperation with public social services, financing the first OT survey on about 800 children (age 4,1 – 5,1), OTs want to institutionally identify developmental delays at an early stage, so that parents, kindergarten teachers and therapists can react early enough before those children start at school.  A special screening tool (standardized tests and clinical observation) in combination with questionnaires, a manual for using this tool respectively a solid training of the participating OTs will ensure a valid survey.

Again we like to announce the first german speaking  symposium on “OT in Health Promotion and Prevention “, which will take place on the 12^th- 13^th of November in Innsbruck. For more details please have a look at www.ergoaustria.at

 

 News from Austria spring 2010

 

The National Association of Austria turned 40, which was celebrated with a big party on the 21^st of November 2009 in Vienna.

 

Ergoaustria is planning to start a project in 2010 on a nationwide standardisation of contracts between OTs and all health insurance companies. The aim is to fight against disparities in the absorption of costs for occupational therapy in Austria. Currently, whether you have to pay for OT or not depends on where you live and which health insurance covers you. In phase 1, which is currently being implemented, self-employed OTs and patients are being informed and mobilised for action. If the response is positive, the next two phases will be started: Phase2: Data preparation and lobbying; Phase 3: Contract negotiations.

 

In cooperation with ergoaustria Ms. Yara Peterko is working on a standardised hygiene guideline for all surgery-related OT tasks in Austria. These guidelines will only affect non-infectious patients and not those with open wounds. This is a very important contribution for quality management and legal coverage.

 

On the 12^th – 13^th November the 1^st Symposium of the German-speaking National Association of Germany, Switzerland, South Tyrol and Austria will take place in Innsbruck with focus on “OT in Health Promotion and Prevention”. For more information please have a look at www.ergoaustria.at

 

 

The Austrian Association of Occupational Therapists, ErgoAustria, is organizing a one day congress every two years. This year´s congress had for theme “evidence based practice in occupational therapy”. It took place on 27. March, 70 OTs were attending.

There were presentations about the need for evidence towards our stakeholders (clients as well as assurance companies), an introduction about the process of EBP, a summary about what is being done according to EBP by the German association DVE, a presentation about clinical reasoning and EBP – followed by examples from different fields of occupational therapy.

ErgoAustria will offer a course in EBP in 2010.

ErgoAustria will organize a national day of occupational therapy. It had been celebrated for the first time in 2008. The events will take place on 2. 10. 2009, the focus is children´s health.

The ministry of health started to work on national guidelines in health care. Occupational therapists are represented in the working groups dealing with guidelines for dementia and Parkinson´s disease.

Within MTDAustria - the organisation of allied health professions - ErgoAustria is working on a portfolio for life long learning. This is - according to the declaration of the government, that such a portfolio should be introduced.

The number of courses offered by ErgoAustria increased rapidly during the last years. In 2008 60 courses were planned, 51 of them could take place.

In 2008/09 agreements could be signed with three assurance companies.

    

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The Austrian Association of Occupational Therapists, ErgoAustria, is organizing a one day congress every two years. This year´s congress had for theme “evidence based practice in occupational therapy”. It took place on 27. March, 70 OTs were attending.

There were presentations about the need for evidence towards our stakeholders (clients as well as assurance companies), an introduction about the process of EBP, a summary about what is being done according to EBP by the German association DVE, a presentation about clinical reasoning and EBP – followed by examples from different fields of occupational therapy.

ErgoAustria will offer a course in EBP in 2010.

ErgoAustria will organize a national day of occupational therapy. It had been celebrated for the first time in 2008. The events will take place on 2. 10. 2009, the focus is children´s health.

The ministry of health started to work on national guidelines in health care. Occupational therapists are represented in the working groups dealing with guidelines for dementia and Parkinson´s disease.

Within MTDAustria - the organisation of allied health professions - ErgoAustria is working on a portfolio for life long learning. This is - according to the declaration of the government, that such a portfolio should be introduced.

The number of courses offered by ErgoAustria increased rapidly during the last years. In 2008 60 courses were planned, 51 of them could take place.

In 2008/09 agreements could be signed with three assurance companies.

 

September 2008

In May, the 29th and 30th, the „Day of Occupational Therapy“ with a focus on Independent Aging took place. It was a big event representing our profession in all major Austrian Cities to the public and in different media. The main goal was to gain publicity and awareness, especially on Occupational Therapy in the field of dementia, rheumatism, parkinson and stroke. In Vienna experts in geriatrics and rehabilitation discussed at the opening event together with OTs from the National Association at a round table. In the regional capital cities people were able to inform themselves in public places, like on the main squares or in health facilities. The regional groups of OTs invested a lot of time and energy in preparing this event, which was a success. The next “Day of Occupational Therapy” is planed to take place in 2009 with a focus on pediatrics.

 

In autumn 2008 the first master study program will start at the FH Campus in Vienna. For more information have a look at www.fh-campuswien.ac.at.

 

 

 

 

 

Last year the Austrian National Association of OTs was renamed into ergoaustria. In the course of this a new logo and layout for all printmedia and for the homepage was designed. Have a look at www.ergoaustria.at.

 

All the regional groups are working hard on preparing the first nationwide “Day of Occupational Therapy” in Austria on 30^th of May 2008 with the motto “Independent Aging”. In each regional capital a diversified program, supported by politicians, media and experts, is waiting for interested people in public places. A lot of colleagues have agreed to present Occupational Therapy to the public through open days on their workplaces.

 

Austria wants to implement a master study program in the near future. Right now there are two possible providers and locations under consideration, one in Vienna and one in Krems.

 

Ergoaustria got the ISO 9001:2000 Certification in Quality Management.

 

After finishing the DACHS project “Ergotherapie 2010” a new project group for health promotion and prevention will be formed in Austria. It should be an organisational platform for all OTs working or planning to work in health promotion and their expertise.

 

At the general assembly of ergoaustria on the 29^th of March 2008 in Innsbruck Marion Stadler was reelected for president. Furthermore the national board together with the regional groups decided to work out a structure that strengthens the voice of the regional groups in major decisions.

 

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