Helen Buchanan

Associate Professor Helen Buchanan is currently the Head of the Division of Occupational Therapy, and an associate staff member of Cochrane South Africa. Helen’s teaching and research focus on evidence-based practice, practice improvement and hand rehabilitation. She is passionate about providing quality hand rehabilitation based on sound evidence and has a particular interest in work-related outcomes. Helen has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and is a regular presenter at conferences. She is committed to building the occupational therapy profession and has served in various capacities, most notably as president of the Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa (OTASA) and delegate to the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT). She is chairperson of the OTASA Publications committee and co-editor of the International Journal of Practice-based Learning in Health and Social Care. Helen serves on the advisory / editorial boards of the British Journal of Occupational Therapy and the WFOT Bulletin. She is passionate about education and is registered for a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Professions Education.

Areas of interest

• Hand therapy, evidence-based practice, rehabilitation, occupation-based practice, occupational therapy education.

Current Research Projects

• Work-related transitions after hand injury
• EMpowering PAtients To Help themselves In Chronic Conditions (EMPATHICC)
• The Occupational Therapy Academic Workforce Survey: An International Study

Publications

Buchanan H, van Niekerk L (2021). Work transitions after serious hand injury: Current occupational therapy practice in a middle-income country. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 69: 151-164.

Buchanan, H., Grimmer, K. (2021). Keyword parsimony—lessons from a scoping review. Systematic Reviews, 10(230).

Buchanan, H., Van Niekerk, L., & Grimmer, K. (2020). Work transition after hand injury: A scoping review. Journal of Hand Therapy, 35(1), 11–23.

Ellman, E., Sonday, A., Buchanan, H. (2020). Transition from special school to post-school life in youth with severe intellectual disability: Parents’ experiences. South African Journal of Education, 40(Suppl. 2):Art. #1444, 9 pages.

Uys M, Buchanan H, Van Niekerk L (2020). Work-related Transitions Following a Hand Injury: A Scoping Review. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 87(4):331-345.

Buchanan H (2020). Editorial: Practice-based learning amidst a time of uncertainty. International Journal of Practice-based Learning in Health and Social Care, 8(2): ii-iii.

Ned L, Tiwari R, Buchanan H, van Niekerk L, Sherry K, Chikte U. (2020). Changing demographic trends among South African Occupational Therapists: 2002 to 2018. BMC Human Resources for Health, 18(22).

de Klerk S, Jerosch-Herold C, Buchanan H, van Niekerk L (2020). Cognitive Interviewing during Pretesting of the Prefinal Afrikaans for the Western Cape Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire following Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation. Occupational Therapy International, vol 2020, Article ID 3749575.

Uys M, Buchanan H, Van Niekerk L (2020). Return to work for people with hand injuries in South Africa: Occupational therapy strategies. South African Journal of Occupational, 50(2): 52-61.

Du Toit SHJ, Baldassar LV, Millard A, Etherton-Beer CD, Buchanan HA, Du Toit S, Collier LJ, Cheung G, Peri K, Webb EA, Lovarini M. (2020). Embracing cultural diversity – engaging leadership to champion meaningful engagement for residents with advanced dementia. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology. 35(1), 49-67.

de Klerk, S., Jerosch-Herold, C., Buchanan, H., van Niekerk L. (2019) Shared decision making and the practice of community translation in presenting a pre-final Afrikaans for the Western Cape Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) Questionnaire: A proposal for improved translation and cross-cultural adaptation. Journal of Patient Reported Outcomes, 3(52).

Mshanga, D., Duncan, E.M., Buchanan, H. (2019). Occupational therapists’ perspectives on the implementation of client centred practice in Tanzania. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 82(12): 732-742.

Uys ME, Buchanan H, Van Niekerk L (2019). Strategies occupational therapists employ to facilitate work-related transitions for persons with hand injuries: a study protocol for a scoping review. BMJ Open, 9:e027402.

Van Stormbroek K, Buchanan H. (2019). Novice occupational therapists: navigating complex practice contexts in South Africa. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 66(4): 469–481.

World Federation of Occupational Therapists, von Zweck C, Alchouron C, Brandis S, Bressler S, Buchanan H, Clouston T, Cox C, Moreno L, Reistetter T, Zur A. (2019). Development of a quality indicator framework for occupational therapy. World Federation of Occupational Therapists Bulletin, 75(1):3-10.

Buchanan H. (2018). Editorial. How is quality addressed within practice-based learning? International Journal of Practice-based Learning in Health and Social Care, 6(2): ii-iv.

Du Toit S, Buchanan H (2018). Embracing Cultural Diversity: Meaningful Engagement for Older Adults With Advanced Dementia in a Residential Care Setting. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 72(6):7206205090p1-7206205090p8.

De Klerk S, Buchanan H, Jerosch-Herold C (2018). The validity and clinical utility of the Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire for hand injuries in developing country contexts: A Systematic Review. Journal of Hand Therapy, 31(1): 80–90.e1.

Van Stormbroek K, Buchanan H (2018). Hand health for all: do undergraduate occupational therapy hand curricula respond to the call? South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 48(3): 3-11.

Williams E, Maseko L, Buchanan H (2017). Rehabilitation - strengthening advocacy for change. It's time to act. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 47(3): 2.

Buchanan H (2017). Evidence-based practice and practice-based evidence. In: S. Dsouza, R. Galvaan, E. Ramugondo (Eds.). Concepts in Occupational Therapy: Understanding Southern Perspectives. Manipal University Press, 316-339. ISBN: 9382460675.

Van Stormbroek K, Buchanan H (2017). Novice therapists in a developing context: Extending the reach of hand rehabilitation. Hand Therapy, 22(4): 141-152.

Amosun S, Ndosi A, Buchanan H (2016). Locally manufactured wheelchairs in Tanzania – are users satisfied? African Health Sciences, 16(4): 1174-1181.

Van Stormbroek K, Buchanan H (2016). Community service occupational therapists: thriving or just surviving? South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 46(3): 63-72.

Buchanan H, Jelsma J, Siegfried N (2016). Practice-based evidence: evaluating the quality of occupational therapy patient records as evidence for practice. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 46(1): 66-74.

Buchanan H, Jelsma J, Siegfried N (2015). Measuring evidence-based practice knowledge and skills in Occupational Therapy – a brief instrument. BMC Medical Education, 15:191.

Buchanan H, Siegfried N, Jelsma J (2015). Survey Instruments for Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes and Behaviour Related to Evidence-based Practice in Occupational Therapy: A Systematic Review. Occupational Therapy International, 23(2):59-90.

De Klerk S, Buchanan H, Pretorius B (2015). Occupational therapy hand assessment practices: Cause for concern? South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 45(2): 43-50.

Buchanan H, Lorenzo T, Law M (2015). Fostering evidence-based practice in community-based rehabilitation: Strategies for implementation. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 45(2): 56-62.

Green C, Hudson K, Wicht M, Willows C, Buchanan H (2015). The impact of the Human Occupation and Art Forms modules on first year occupational therapy students’ knowledge of and attitudes towards core constructs of occupation. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 45(1): 63-71.

Buchanan H, Siegfried N, Jelsma J, Lombard C (2014). Comparison of an interactive with a didactic educational intervention for improving the evidence-based practice knowledge of occupational therapists in the public health sector in South Africa: a randomised controlled trial. Trials, 15:216.

Buchanan H (2011). The uptake of evidence-based practice by occupational therapists in South Africa. World Federation of Occupational Therapists Bulletin, 64:29-38.