Other Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Improving Access To Mainehealth Care At Home, Amanda Kunkel, Mhcah Intake Department, Mhcah Scheduling Department, Mhcah Clinical Leadership Team

Operational Transformation

It is known that there are capacity limitations at MaineHealth Care at Home caused by a decrease in staffing. This leads to limited availability of home health services to patients in the community and can also contribute to increased length of stay for patients in acute care hospitals. MaineHealth Care at Home needs a way to measure current capacity to accept referrals and improved systems for communicating with referral sources.

Increasing Social Inclusion And Engagement Of Exercise For Individuals With Spinal Cord Injuries: A Universal Resource Development For Wellness Facilities, Alexa Hall

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are 1.5 times more likely to disengage in exercise one-year post-injury despite 80% of these individuals agreeing that exercise is critical to their overall health and quality of life (Baehr. Et al., 2022). A needs assessment was conducted on why the lack of engagement in exercise exists for individuals with SCIs within fitness facilities to identify barriers preventing participation. A quality improvement program called the Spinal Cord Injury Wellness Toolkit was created based off these findings and implemented at the MUSC Wellness Center. 14 individuals with SCIs participated at wellness center; REDCap surveys were …

Spinal Cord Injury (Sci), Roxana Sanchez, Katherine Misla, Jessica Galewsky

Client Educational Handouts

No abstract provided.

Creating Bridges Of Interprofessional Education: Opportunities For Collaborating Across Multiple Disciplines And Campuses, Norman Cadiz Belleza, Jim Mathews, Leiselle Pilgrim, Kaitlyn Cremer, Maureen Johnson, Elisabeth Mcgee, Evan Pucillo, Kathy Wheat, Vibhor Agrawal

Education Collection

Introduction and Purpose: The purpose of this special interest report is to discuss strategies used by to integrate simulation activities across multiple campuses and programs to foster inter- and intra-professional education. Inter-professional (IP) simulations were done between multiple campuses of a large scale, multi-state, health science university. These simulations utilized Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD), Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), and Master of Science Speech/Language Pathology (MS-SLP) students and faculty. IP simulations involved DPT students and faculty from the health sciences university in one state and physical therapist assistant (PTA) students and faculty from a different university in that same …

Diagnostic Accuracy Of Mcmurry’S Test In The Diagnosis Of Meniscal Tears, Jessica Smyth, Hartwell Rainey

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Pre- And Post-Operative Shoulder Muscle Emg Profiles In Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty Patients, Emily Lau, Sreten Franovic, Noah Kuhlmann, Eric C. Makhni Md, Stephanie Muh Md

Medical Student Research Symposium

Background: Deltoid muscle function is central in reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) function; however, there is limited information available regarding changes in deltoid activity before and after surgery. Few tests exist to evaluate specific muscle metrics pre and post operatively. Surface Electromyographic (EMG) is non-invasive and allows for observation of motions with multifaceted analysis of movement with minimal patient demand. Understanding the changes in shoulder muscle activation, namely in the deltoid, in patients pre and post-RTSA can further advance understanding of the procedure and rehabilitation efforts.

Methods: Nine individuals were recruited for this study: all patients underwent RTSA by a …

The Role Of Horticultural Therapy In The Treatment Of Refugees With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Molly Nadeau

Senior Honors Theses

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cites that there are an unprecedented number of refugees. As of 2017, over 68.5 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes, with 25.4 million of this group being classified as refugees (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 2018). Often, mental health issues arise from the trauma that they face. Recently, the use of horticultural therapy, which uses gardening and plant-based activities as a form of treatment, has shown mental health improvements in military veterans and active duty soldiers diagnosed with stress related disorders. This paper will describe the role of …

Bridging The Gap Between Academia And Practice: Possibilities For Research Collaboration And Funding, Anne H. Zachry

Faculty Presentations

Preparing a successful small grant proposal involves research, planning, preparation, and determination, but obtaining funding for a creative project is not unrealistic. Practitioners are in the trenches on a daily basis, and many likely have novel ideas and relevant questions, especially when it comes to interventions. These intervention questions are important, with the American Occupational Therapy Association reporting that more studies are needed to investigate and support occupation-based intervention. By developing partnerships, educators, practitioners, and students can engage in small scale projects to further the knowledge base in the field of occupational therapy.

Strategies To Improve Interdisciplinary Communication In An Acute Care Inpatient Pediatric Unit, Sarah Thompson, Haley Pelletier, Barbara Bush Children's Hospital-Inpatient, Maine Medical Center, Suneela Nayak, Ruth Hanselman, Stephen Tyzik

Maine Medical Center

Interdisciplinary patient rounding has been shown to improve patient and family satisfaction as well as reduce patient length of stay and readmission rates. In an acute care inpatient pediatric unit, baseline metrics demonstrated that 100% of the time, nursing was not included in these rounds thus resulting in sub optimal communication.

The goal of this performance improvement project was to attain increased nursing participation. Data collection demonstrated several reasons for lack of participation and corrective actions were instituted. After undertaking this KPI goal and utilizing operational excellence, 95% of the time, nurses were called to morning rounds with the medical …

Return To University After A Stroke: An Autoethnography, Rachel Sieber

Doctor of Occupational Therapy Capstone Projects

Background and Aims: Return to university presents a unique transition for the person with stroke who may demonstrate with impairments and may have difficulties while engaging in this change. This study will explore elements that comprise the needs and factors of the stroke survivor and supports or accommodations that may improve success of the student returning to university.

Methods: An autoethnography was used with narrative journals and poems dated June 2003 to October 2005, interviews with friends, family and professors and a literature review. Data analysis included an open-coding procedure to find themes from the journal entries, interviews and narrative …

Critically Appraised Paper For “The Effects Of A Home-Based Virtual Reality Rehabilitation Program On Balance Among Individuals With Parkinson’S Disease”, Amanda Lee, Sophie E. Miller, Holly Snyder, Phoebe Taasan, Kitsum Li

Occupational Therapy | Critically Appraised Papers Series

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a 12-week home-based exercise program using the Nintendo Wii system in its capacity to improve balance and balance confidence and maintain exercise compliance. Balance and balance confidence were measured with the Center of Pressure Length (COPL) and Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC), which were administered before the start of the intervention, 6 weeks into the intervention, and within 1 week postintervention. Although changes in balance and balance confidence scores were found to be nonsignificant, a pattern emerged in which scores for both measures rose between preand postintervention assessments, then fell to nearly baseline levels …

Tune Up Your Teaching Toolbox, Anne H. Zachry, J. Flick, S. B. Lancaster

Faculty Presentations

Occupational therapy (OT) educators strive to prepare entry-level practitioners who have the expertise to meet the diverse health care needs of society. A variety of instructional methods are used in the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) MOT program, including traditional lecture-based instruction (LBI), problem-based learning (PBL), team-based learning (TBL), and game-based learning (GBL). Research suggests that active learning strategies develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are necessary for effective clinical reasoning and decision-making abilities. PBL, TBL, GBL are being successfully implemented in the UTHSC MOT Program to enhance the learning process and improve student engagement.

Examining Patient-Centered Care Through The Eyes Of An Occupational Therapist, Molly R. Ray

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The concept of person-centered care is a major factor in the ongoing shift between a type of care that focuses on biological concepts ignoring psychological and emotional needs of a person, to a new type of care that considers the whole person, striving to meet not only their physical needs, but their spiritual and emotional needs, striving to involve the patient in every aspect of care. In this study, an adapted person-centered checklist was created as a possible future tool to encourage occupational therapists to implement person-centered care techniques in daily practice. Supporting research includes a literature review on person-centered …

Internship Impact In Early Intervention, Morgan E. Anderson

Senior Honors Projects

Early childhood intervention programs were introduced in the 1960s, and professionals have recognized the benefits of intensive therapy and education starting when the child is an infant up to the age of three. Working with a child in a comfortable environment, such as their own home, preschool, child care center or even the community has many benefits. Conducting sessions in a more everyday environment encourages family interaction and support. When a family member, caretaker, or even teacher is present to witness the therapy session, they are more likely to be comfortable carrying these techniques over into the everyday routine. Working …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In The Prevention Of Infant Torticollis & Plagiocephaly, Anne H. Zachry

Faculty Presentations

AOTA includes health promotion as an Intervention approach in the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process. As health care professionals, occupational therapy practitioners are responsible for promoting public health and wellness. Occupational therapists need to educate parents and caregivers about the importance of varying infant positions, providing tummy time, and limiting infant time spent in baby gear.

Cancer Survivorship Care: An Emphasis On Rehabilitation Needs In Maine, Miranda Carlson, Nicole Christine, Charles Dowd, Cassandra Dawley, Irina Fedulow, Lisa Gerhardt, Erin Pike, Kaitlin Powers, Angela Serrani

Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Papers

The first section of this report addresses the evidence of causation concerning impairments developed as a result of a cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment. The second section investigates the evidence regarding rehabilitation and physical activity as an effective intervention in the prevention and treatment of impairments from cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment. The third section discusses the underlying behavioral change theory for incorporation of our Cancer Survivorship Rehabilitation Algorithm (Appendix 1), which details our proposed use of rehabilitation and wellness services in the continuum of cancer care and includes an outline for a survivorship care plan. This section also discusses …

Utility Of An Occupational Therapy Driving Intervention For A Combat Veteran, Sherrilene Classen, Miriam Monahan, Maria Canonizado, Sandra Winter

Collected Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Many combat veterans are injured in motor vehicle crashes shortly after returning to civilian life, yet little evidence exists on effective driving interventions. In this single-subject design study, we compared clinical test results and driving errors in a returning combat veteran before and after an occupational therapy driving intervention. A certified driving rehabilitation specialist administered baseline clinical and simulated driving assessments; conducted three intervention sessions that discussed driving errors, retrained visual search skills, and invited commentary on driving; and administered a postintervention evaluation in conditions resembling those at baseline. Clinical test results were similar pre- and postintervention. Baseline versus postintervention …

A Multidisciplinary Approach To The Prevention Of Infant Torticollis And Plagiocephaly, Anne H. Zachry, S. K. Slaughter

Faculty Presentations

Research suggests that parents are more likely to carry out positioning recommendations from a health care professional than any other source. Occupational therapy practitioners can play an important role in educating parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers about the importance of providing tummy time and limiting infant time spent in baby gear.

Acute Reperfusion Therapy In St-Elevation Myocardial Infarction From 1994-2003, Brahmajee K. Nallamouthu, Martha E. Blaney, Susan M. Morris, Lori Parsons, Dave P. Miller, John G. Canto, Hal V. Barron, Harlan M. Krumholz

Collected Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Background—Appropriate utilization of acute reperfusion therapy is not a national performance measure for ST-elevation myocardial infarction at this time, and the extent of its contemporary use among ideal patients is unknown.

Methods—From the National Registry of Myocardial Infarction, we identified 238,291 patients enrolled from June 1994 to May 2003 who were ideally suited for acute reperfusion therapy with fibrinolytic therapy or primary percutaneous coronary intervention. We determined rates of not receiving therapy across 3 time periods (June 1994–May 1997, June 1997–May 2000, June 2000– May 2003) and evaluated factors associated with underutilization.

Results—The proportion of ideal patients …

Disaggregating The Relative Influence Of Genetic, Environmental And Individual Factors On Ldl And Hdl Cholesterols And Bmi For A Sample Of African American (Aa) Mothers And Daughters, C. Jayne Brahler, Jewel Harden, Michelle Mchone, Matthew Soules, Eric Evans, Ann Alyanak, Fred Diakpieng, Paul M. Vanderburgh

Health and Sport Science Faculty Publications

There are many reports about the associations between blood lipids, body mass index (BMI) and dietary cholesterol intakes both within the individual and between related individuals. The purpose of this descriptive research project was to investigate the relationships between LDL and HDL cholesterols, body mass index and dietary cholesterol intakes for a sample of African American (AA) mothers and their daughters and to attempt to separate the contribution of genetic versus environmental factors. Mother and daughter participants (n =42 and 66, respectively) were 12-14-hours fasted when blood samples were drawn, heights and weights measured, and 24 hour food recalls completed.

Qtc Is Associated With Obesity And Physical Activity Level For African American Females, C. Jayne Brahler

Health and Sport Science Faculty Publications

Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular or ischemic disease mortality. Obesity as a cause for acquired LQTS in otherwise healthy individuals is rapidly gaining the attention of the scientific community. African American people have a higher incidence of obesity compared to Caucasians, yet race-specific information is not available for their prevalence of LQTS. Chronic physical activity can help reduce the incidence of obesity, yet little is known about the effects of chronic physical activity on acquired LQTS. Subjects in this study were a volunteer sample of African American mothers (21-53 yr, n = 44) and …