Despite formidable gains in the number of trained scientists in the field and a significant increase in the number of studies, there is a paucity of rigorous clinical trials and outcomes research in rehabilitation and occupational therapy to guide practice and inform policy. To address this need, 40-60 early to mid-stage investigators who are novices in conducting intervention research will be invited to participate in the conference at a hotel in Washington D.C. The conference will accelerate the pace of generating evidence to improve practice by: 1) increasing scientists'understanding about the design and conduct of rigorous clinical trials and outcomes research, 2) increasing the research capacity in occupational therapy and related disciplines by providing scientists with tools and collaborative opportunities, and 3) disseminating key findings from the conference using multiple media to researchers in occupational therapy and related rehabilitation disciplines. Scientists with expertise in intervention research across a broad spectrum of practice areas in rehabilitation and occupational therapy will serve as faculty. A combination of presentations, panels, and roundtable discussions will be utilized to facilitate learning and collaborative relationships. To further extend the impact of the conference, sessions will be digitally video-recorded and made available for viewing post-conference, free of charge. The American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF) and American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) will collaborate to plan and implement this research training conference with the goal of accelerating the pace of generating evidence to study the efficacy and effectiveness of interventions and their outcomes in the community. Since occupational therapists often work in interdisciplinary teams and also in communities, studies to validate the safety and efficacy of interventions are not only strongly needed, but vital to improving the daily functioning and quality of life of children and adults with injuries, disorders, or disabilities.
The proposed two-day conference on """"""""Accelerating Clinical Trials and Outcomes Research (ACTOR)"""""""" will increase participating scientists'knowledge about the design and conduct of high-quality research related to rehabilitation interventions (treatments). The conference will feature a combination of formal presentations, panel presentations, and small-group discussions. Dissemination strategies include a proceedings manuscript summarizing presentations, digital videos of the presentations freely available online following the conference, and an electronic toolkit of resources. Developing the capacity of occupational therapy and other rehabilitation scientists to conduct intervention studies will increase the availability of evidence needed to guide effective therapies. This will lead to improvements in the daily functioning and quality of life of children and adults with injuries, disorders or disabilities.
| Lin, Susan H (2013) Special issue on the Accelerating Clinical Trials and Outcomes Research (ACTOR) Conference. Am J Occup Ther 67:135-7 |
