BIOSKETCH
Deshini Naidoo is an Associate Professor within the Discipline of Occupational Therapy who is NRF C2 Rated researcher whose PhD study combined her passion for the advocacy of people with disabilities, health professions education and Primary healthcare. She explored the role of occupational therapy in primary healthcare and explored how to align occupational therapy with primary healthcare to ensure that graduates are prepared to work within a Primary healthcare approach in KwaZulu Natal. Research niche includes primary healthcare and rural practice, which includes early childhood development and early detection of disability, health professions education, and general, occupational therapy practice. Research supervision experience encompasses both undergraduate and postgraduate research projects. She has completed a Sub-Saharan African FAIMER regional institute (SAFRI) fellowship. SAFRI focuses on developing educational and leadership capacity in health professional educators.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Primary healthcare and rural practice including early childhood development and early detection of disability, health professions education, and general, occupational therapy practice.
LIST OF PUBLICATIONS
2023
- von Zweck C, Naidoo D, Govender P, Ledgerd R. Current Practice in Occupational Therapy for COVID-19 and Post-COVID-19 Conditions. Occupational Therapy International. 2023.
- Naidoo D, Van Wyk JM. Competencies Required to Deliver a Primary Healthcare Approach in Occupational Therapy: A South African Perspective. Occupational Therapy International. 2023.
- Esterhuizen L, Govender P, Naidoo D. Development and evaluation of face and content validity of a survey to examine wound management by occupational therapists in hand therapy practice within the South African context. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2023 Apr;53(1):19–30.
- Young W, Govender P, Naidoo D. “It was like a bad dream”: Making sense of violent hand amputation and replantation in South Africa. Journal of Hand Therapy. 2023;36(1):158–165.
- Howell KL, Naidoo D, Govender P. Prevention and early intervention in South African disability claims management: The private insurer perspective. Work. 2023:1–4.
2022
- Buys E, Nadasan T, Pefile N, Ogunlana MO, Naidoo D. Clinical and socio-demographic determinants of community reintegration in people with spinal cord injury in eThekwini Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal province. South African Journal of Physiotherapy. 2022;78(1):1631.
- Chibaya G, Chichaya TF, Govender P, Naidoo D. Exploring the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in Namibia: Perspectives of policymakers and implementers. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2022;52(1):16–23.
- Chibaya G, Chichaya TF, Govender P, Naidoo D. Implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa: A scoping review. Disability, CBR and Inclusive Development. 2022 Jan 1;32(4):134–154.
- Nathoo H, Gurayah T, Naidoo D. Life during COVID-19: An explorative qualitative study of occupational therapists in South Africa. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health. 2022 Jul 19:1–29.
- Howell KL, Govender P, Naidoo D. Factors influencing prevention and early intervention within the disability claims management process: South African insurer’s perspective. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2022;52(2):16–25.
- Ayob Z, Christopher C, Naidoo D. Caregivers’ perception of their role in early childhood development and stimulation programmes in the early childhood development phase within a Sub-Saharan African context: An integrative review. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2022 Dec;51(3):84–92.
