A big thank you to OT Nicole de la Perrelle who kindly shared her expert knowledge as a driver-trained OT, along with a range of other handy resources. To find out about Nicole's mentoring, supervision, consultancy, and training services, visit her website: https://encourageot.com/

1. What article did we discuss? We reviewed and discussed a quantitative article exploring the impact of chronic pain on driving ability. A case-control methodology was used, and overall findings indicated people with chronic pain did not have significantly worse performance in driving based on self-report methods and hazard perception testing, although there were some differences once pain reached a level of 6+/10. The study also reported on the range of self-regulation strategies used by people with chronic pain.

2. What ‘Research Fundamentals’ tip was covered in this session? We covered an overview of some common statistical test terminology, including what a p-value and effect size are, including differentiating between statistical and clinical significance.

3. What were the key points from the article critique? We used the Your OT Tutor Quantitative Research Critical Appraisals Considerations checklist. Key strengths of this study were that it was based in Australia and that a number of data collection methods were used. The background information and research question were presented clearly, and case-matching the two groups helped minimise bias. Limitations include a relatively small sample size, and no on-road objective assessments were completed to measure driving ability.

4. What were some of the key take home messages from the discussion? It was acknowledged that OTs should be specifically asking about driving for people that experience chronic pain. Non-standardised interviews exploring the nature of driving and its impact on symptoms and function were regularly used, and there were some suggestions for useful standardised assessments also. Non-driver OTs can use OT skills to recommend strategies such as self-regulation, pacing and ergonomic adjustments, however, recommendations for specialised AT modifications or driving specific strategies should be completed via a driver-trained OT.

5. How are OTs going to use what they learnt in this session? Some OTs reported a greater appreciation of the increased workload associated with driving for people with chronic pain and planned to be more specific about how they explored this as part of their assessment process. Non-driver trained OTs were recognising the value of referring to driver-OTs for more than just testing or modifications, including for driver rehabilitation, while some driver-trained OTs expressed they had been prompted to explore the use of apps more in rehabilitation.