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Diversifying Physical Therapy: Recruitment And Retention Of Under-Represented Minorities To Improve Patient Outcomes, Miriam Janove, Isaac Aguliar, Alex Knapp

Physical Therapy Research Symposium

The American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT) has determined that physical therapy (PT) education and practice has fallen short of “representation of the general population”. This lack of diversity compromises access to rehabilitation among under-represented minorities (URM), thus perpetuating the suffering from disease. Using the ACAPT definition of URM, we encompass not only traditional racial and ethnic groups, but also low socioeconomic status, geographically underrepresented, and educationally disadvantaged groups. Lack of resources leads to decreased levels of physical activity, compounded by lack of access to care within URM areas, and has been linked to the perpetuation of sedentary diseases. …

Physical Therapy Implications Of Zika And Microcephaly In Latin America, Acacia Dyer, Miriam Janove, Holly Roberts

Physical Therapy Research Symposium

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to:

• describe the history and etiology of the Zika virus as well as relationship of gestational Zika infection to incidence of microcephaly.
• describe clinical manifestations and useful physical therapy treatments of microcephaly.

Description

• Lit Review: A systematic literature review was performed in PubMed and CINAHL. Two researchers reviewed the sources screening in articles with relevance for evaluation and treatment of infants and children with microcephaly. Articles relevant to the link between Zika and microcephaly were also included in the review.
• Case Studies: During 03/11/18 - 03/16/18 in the Zacapa region of Guatemala, three …

Effects Of Two High-Frequency Physical Therapy Programs On Balance, Gait, Fatigue, And Quality Of Life In People With Multiple Sclerosis, Min Liu

Theses & Dissertations

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease involving the inflammation and demyelination in both brain and spinal cord. MS typically affects people in early adulthood in the range of 20-40 years old, and most patients with MS experience symptoms on a daily basis, such as walking difficulties, balance impairment, and fatigue, which can be disabling and impact the Quality of Life (QOL).

The main purpose of this investigation is to determine if our novel, adaptive, high-frequency physical therapy protocol, compared with the conventional therapeutic exercise protocol, has the potential to improve participants’ dynamic balance, gait, fatigue, and overall QOL based …

Transitioning To The Role Of A Professional Physical Therapist Through Community Engagement, Brittany L. Wentzel

VA Engage Journal

This article recounts the author's experiences observing and interning with physical therapists in a variety of settings.The hands-on experiences the author describes allowed the author to learn the specific procedures and requirements in a typical day as a Physical Therapist, and to gain knowledge on the protocol for different injuries, the muscles that each exercise strengthens, and how to properly perform exercises to prevent further injuries. The author also explores how these experiences fostered observational and interpersonal skills and solidified the decision to pursue Physical Therapy as a career.

A Speed-Based Approach To Vestibular Rehabilitation For Peripheral Vestibular Hypofunction: A Retrospective Chart Review, Robert Alen Roller, Courtney D. Hall

ETSU Faculty Works

BACKGROUND: Current vestibular rehabilitation for peripheral vestibular hypofunction is an exercise-based approach that improves symptoms and function in most, but not all patients, and includes gaze stabilization exercises focused on duration of head movement. One factor that may impact rehabilitation outcomes is the speed of head movement during gaze stability exercises.

OBJECTIVE: Examine outcomes of modified VOR X1 exercises that emphasize a speed-based approach for gaze stabilization while omitting substitution and habituation exercises. Balance training focused on postural realignment and hip strategy performance during altered visual and somatosensory inputs.

METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 159 patients with vestibular deficits …

Can Understanding Provider Expectations Improve Provider Adoption Of Patient Reported Outcomes?, Jeff Houck, Jillian Santer, Kostantinos Vasalos, Judith Baumhauer

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Introduction/Purpose: New instruments like the Patient Reported Outcome Information System (PROMIS) minimize the burden to patients and providers addressing significant barriers to adoption. Despite these advances provider adoption remains lackluster. Models of technology adoption suggest adoption is more likely to occur when PRO’s directly improve patient care (performance expectancy) and it’s easy to implement (effort expectancy). Problems with effort expectancy are dealt with by training and improving logistics (i.e. eHR presentation, alerts), where performance expectancy is addressed through research (i.e. validation of thresholds). The purposes of this study were to: 1) evaluate the proportion of orthopedic rehabilitation providers who use …

Changes In Reach To Eat Movement Control After Intensive Training For Children With Unilateral Cerebral Palsy, Yaching Hung, Aryeh D. Spingarn

Publications and Research

Ya Ching Hung EdD. and Aryeh Spingarn EP-C, CSCS, EIM-Level 2 Queens College, City University of New York Department of Family, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences, Changes in Reach to Eat Movement Control After Intensive Training for Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy. Purpose: The current study compares the effects of an intervention on children with Congenital Hemiplegia during a simple eating task using kinematic analyses. Previous studies looked at simple bimanual tasks such as opening a drawer; no studies examined the effects of intensive training on unimanual reach, grasp, and eat movement control. Methods: 20 children with Unilateral Spastic Cerebral Palsy …

Mobility Boost: A Quality Improvement Project To Bridge A Gap In Care For Hospitalized Adults, Audrey M. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Early mobility quality improvement (QI) projects are leading the charge to shift the prevailing culture in acute care from a culture of immobility to a culture of mobility. Low mobility and hospital acquired functional decline is a persistent problem, especially for older adults, often leading to increased post acute care costs, increased risk of hospital readmission and increased mortality. Transition of care programs designed to improve care transitions and prevent hospital readmission exist but fail to include rehabilitation professionals or to adequately consider patient functional status during hospitalization. The goal of this research was to implement and evaluate an early …

Correlation Between The Spirit Bike Maximal Power Output And Other Lower Extremity Power Output Tests, Tyler Adams, Joseph Brown, Gunnar Mendiola, Ryan Sullivan, Cody Williams

Physical Therapy Capstone Projects

The assessment of a patient’s lower extremity function is important for physical therapists to make clinical judgements about the subject’s mobility and physical capabilities. For physical therapists to accurately assess a patient’s lower extremity function, clinicians must utilize the most appropriate tests, evaluation techniques, and/or tools. It is not clear that single leg hop tests will provide the most accurate assessment of lower extremity function for patients with hip, knee, ankle, and or foot biomechanical dysfunctions, as in some severe cases, these tests may even be contraindicated.

An Analysis Of Postural Changes Over Time And Their Relationship To Musculoskeletal Pain, Anna Barnes, Anna Dadamio, Suzanne Maggioni, Rebekah Stammer, Sarah Simpson

Physical Therapy Capstone Projects

Posture is defined as the relative disposition of the body at any one moment. It is a composite of all body joints during that time and, in its ideal state, minimizes gravitational stresses in an upright position. Spinal curves help to distribute weight and compressive loads and add strength and stability to the vertebral column.1 Ideal static posture has been described as a straight vertical line that passes through the earlobe, just anterior to the lateral malleolus, and falls to the concave side of each spinal curve

Effects Of A Customized Professionalism Educational Intervention On Physical Therapists’ Knowledge And Attributes Of Professionalism, Joseph A. Balogun Distinguished University Professor, Chidozie E. Mbada Dr., Adetutu O. Balogun Dr., Udoka A. Okafor Dr.

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: There is a growing call around the world to include professionalism in the entry-level education of physical therapists and to teach professionalism as a continuing education professional development workshop for practicing physical therapists. Unfortunately, there is currently no empirical evidence to support the use of didactic instruction to effectuate a change in the knowledge and attributes of professionalism. This study evaluated the effects of a customized professionalism educational intervention on physical therapists’ knowledge and attributes of professionalism.

Methods: A quasi-experimental research was conducted among 47 Nigerian physical therapists (Mean age = 41 ± 10.1 years). The educational intervention consisted …

Physical Therapy And The Integration Of Dry Needling, Katie Montgomery

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research paper analyzes how the field of Physical Therapy has grown and evolved in the United States over the last sixty years. It also explores the education process of becoming a therapist, the responsibilities it entails, and the different treatment interventions therapist can use by taking a deeper look at the integration of dry needling techniques into the field of Physical Therapy.

Dry needling is defined and different techniques being utilized in the field currently are explained. Also discussed are locations where physical therapists are legally allowed to perform dry needling in the United States, the certification process, precautions …