Case Study 1 (Occupational Therapy)
A dearth of occupational therapists (OTs) in the country has led to some accident victims and
surgery patients being placed on a two-month waiting list for treatment. Among others,
occupational therapy is required to help surgery patients regain mobility of their limbs or to
help children with learning disabilities. According to Malaysian Occupational Therapy
Association president Soh Say Beng, in Malaysia, we have around 1,800 occupational
therapists but we are required to serve a population of about 32 million. That is a ratio of
1:17,777. This rate is three times below the global average of occupational therapist-to-
population ratio of 1:5,000. Though all major public hospitals have their own occupational
therapists the teams were small and the waiting time to receive treatment could be up to two
months. Such a long wait, could be detrimental to the patient’s recovery.
(Outstation patients also flocking to Klang Valley to get therapy faster, The Star Online, 18/09/2016)
Students are required to propose a suitable solution to assist the OT’s in making life easier
and to rehabilitate accident victims and surgery patients. Your solution must include
instrumentation elements (for RK85), safety, ethics, sustainability and environmental
components.
Case Study 2 (Innovate: Chronic diseases monitoring)
Chronic diseases are the major cause of death and disability in Malaysia, accounted for 71%
of all deaths and 69% of the total burden of disease. The WHO in its report ‘Preventing
Chronic Disease: A Vital Investment’ has highlighted the inaction of most governments of
the low and middle income countries in tackling the problem urgently, is clear and
unacceptable. The acute care paradigm is no longer adequate for the changing pattern of
diseases in today’s and tomorrow’s world. An evolution of primary health care system
beyond the acute care model to embrace the concept of caring for long term health problems
is imperative in the wake of the rising epidemic of chronic diseases and its crushing burden
resulting in escalating healthcare costs.
(Ramli, A., & Taher, S. (2008). Managing Chronic Diseases in the Malaysian Primary Health Care – a Need for Change.
Malaysian Family Physician : The Official Journal of the Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia, 3(1), 7–13.)
Students are required to propose a suitable solution to assist healthcare practitioners to
monitor chronic disease patients via wearable sensors. The data should be accessible online
and the system developed should be able to make appropriate health recommendations and
raise an alarm if needed. Your solution must include instrumentation elements (for RK85),
safety, ethics, sustainability and environmental components.
