Occupational Therapy Commons^™

What Are The Relations Among Stress Perception, Health Perception And Activity Participation In School-Aged Children?, Allison Caplin

Honors Theses

This correlational study examined possible relations among children’s activity patterns, perceived stress, and perceived health. A variety of self-report questionnaires were administered to a sample of 33 school age children. The Pediatric Activity Sort (PACS) was used to measure activity participation, a health questionnaire was used to assess health, and the Childhood Stress Questionnaire (CSQ) was used to measure perceived stress. Correlations showed no significant relationships between stress level and the amount of reported activity participation. The absence of significant relationships may be due to testing a sample of middle to upper class, Caucasian children, as there was a ...

Diagnostic Statistical Manual 5 Changes To The Autism Diagnostic Criteria: A Critical Moment For Occupational Therapists, Heather Miller-Kuhaneck

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

The new definition of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is expected to appear in May 2013 in the finalized Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM) -5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2012). The current DSM-IV criteria uses Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) as the umbrella term for autism, a classification that many professionals believe has been outdated for several years. ASD will be the new name for the category that includes “autistic disorder (autism), Asperger’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified” (APA, 2012). It will also serve to better differentiate autism spectrum disorder from typical development as well as from ...

Advancing Occupational Therapy In Workplace Health And Wellbeing: A Scoping Review, Lynn Shaw Dr., Amanda Kollee, Helen Ren, Kayla Lofgren, Savannah Saarloos, Kirsten Slaven, Ann Bossers

Lynn Shaw

Advancing Occupational Therapy in Workplace Health and Well-being: A Scoping Review Amanda Kollee, Helen Ren, Kayla Lofgren, Savannah Saarloos, Kirsten Slaven, Ann Bossers & Lynn Shaw Background: Workplace health continues to be a goal that workers and employers desire. For instance, organizations want to adapt and find ways to accommodate the changing needs of workers as they grow older and develop chronic health conditions. Preventative strategies are required to maintain health and limit the burden on both organizations and individual workers. Occupational therapists can support workplaces to foster the personal health and well-being of workers and to develop workplace environments that support productivity and positive workplace culture. Knowledge is needed to support the evolving role of OTs in evidence based practice in the workplace. Purpose: This paper presents a synthesis of existing knowledge regarding occupational therapy (OT) involvement in the development and maintenance of worker health. Methods: A scoping review was conducted by searching 11 electronic databases, including CINAHL, Medline-OVID, Sociological Abstracts, PsycINFO, JSTOR, ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health Source, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, EMBASE, Scopus, PubMed and OTDBASE. By using search terms including occupational therapy, workplace, workplace health, and well-being, 1814 articles published between 1992 and July, 2012 were identified Forty-six articles were extracted using a 5-point relevancy scale. Data was analyzed based on study location, year, health condition or injury focus, and study design. Information regarding OT involvement, outcome measures, enablement skills, and collaborative models were examined, with particular attention on the areas of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention, assessments/interventions, and enablement skills as outlined by the Canadian Model of Client-Centred Enablement. Findings: The majority of studies were completed in the United States and Canada, with Sweden and the Netherlands following closely. Thirty-four quantitative, 11 qualitative and 1 mixed study were reviewed. Sixty-three percent of studies focused on persons with physical injuries or conditions and 28% on mental illness. The majority of articles demonstrated OT involvement using tertiary prevention for chronic and complex conditions. Focus on ‘return to work’ and ‘productivity’ was evident, and ‘well-being’, ‘maintaining work’ and ‘safety’ was less prevalent. The majority of articles highlighted the use of enablement skills that are more inter-relational in nature, including ‘collaborate’, ‘educate’, ‘coach’, and ‘engage’. Thirty-five percent of the articles stated that the assessment or intervention was carried out solely by OTs; the remaining articles included 61% involving multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary teams, and 4% did not specify the collaborative model. Implications: There is descriptive and intervention-based evidence to support the involvement of OTs in workplace practice. Future research is needed to enhance understanding of mental health, primary prevention, and OTs role on teams, and needs to consider further specifying and defining outcome measures and enablement skills. There is a need for higher level evidence and more qualitative studies ...

Description And Service Innovation In Adolescent Transition Within Kentucky State Agency Education Programs, Amy C. Marshall

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Of all Kentucky youth, state agency children are at the highest risk of making unsuccessful post-secondary transitions to adulthood. The intent of both studies comprising this dissertation was to understand and guide transition planning to make future improvements to transitions of adolescents in state agency programs.

The Kentucky Youth at Risk in Transition Study was a mixed methods study that identified and described the understandings of student transitions in state agency education programs from the perspectives of youth and administrators. The study included 105 nontraditional education programs funded and supervised by the Kentucky Educational Collaborative for State Agency Children (KECSAC ...

Promoting Health Literacy Through Leading Edge Occupational Therapy Education, Susan Toth-Cohen, Phd, Otr/L, Annalisa Synnestvedt, Ba, Ots, Alyssa Frey Peachey, Ots

Department of Occupational Therapy, Presentations

Synopsis:

Health literacy has become a vital focus of U.S. healthcare. By incorporating health literacy knowledge, attitudes, and skills into entry-­‐level education, occupational therapy professionals can enact a leading role in health and human services teams to address our national healthcare goals.

Poster presentation at the American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference, San Diego, CA, April 2013.

Exploring The Depths Of Health Literacy Are We Teaching This And Why Does It Matter?, Susan Toth-Cohen, Phd, Otr/L, Tracey Vause-Earland, Ms, Otr/L

Department of Occupational Therapy, Presentations

Background: Why does Health Literacy Matter?

• Healthcare practitioners often work with older persons with low health literacy without realizing that this issues limiting the success of their interventions. They may also lack awareness of the serious impact that low health literacy can have, since it is associated with lower reported health status, increased hospitalizations, and increased morbidity (Levasseur & Carrier, 2011).
• The current US healthcare system places increase demands on consumers to manage their own health (Smith & Gutman, 2011).
• Educators in the health professions must instill a sense of responsibility in future practitioners to understand the important role they play in ...

University Campus Accessibility Measure, Lea E. Klinger

Occupational Therapy Publications

No abstract provided.

Physical Accessibility Measure For Schools, Lea E. Klinger

Occupational Therapy Publications

No abstract provided.

Service Learning In Guatemala: Using Qualitative Content Analysis To Explore An Interdisciplinary Learning Experience Among Students In Health Care Professional Programs, Kathleen S. Fries, Donna M. Bowers, Margo Gross, Lenore Frost

Nursing Faculty Publications

What is the experience of interprofessional collaboration as a nursing, occupational, or physical therapy health care student taking part in a weeklong service-learning experience?I

nterprofessional collaboration among health care professionals yields improved patient outcomes, yet many students in health care programs have limited exposure to interprofessional collaboration in the classroom and in clinical and service-learning experiences. This practice gap implies that students enter their professions without valuing interprofessional collaboration and the impact it has on promoting positive patient outcomes.

The aim of this study was to describe the interprofessional experiences of students in health care professional programs as they ...

Expressing Emotions Through Participation In Painting, Molly Bathje Ms, Otr/L

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The cover of the Winter 2013 Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, titled Miles eMOTION, was created by Miles Scharfenberg, an 18-year-old young man with multiple developmental impairments. Miles’ story and his artwork provide a reflection on the ways in which creativity and art can enhance the lives of people with disabilities and their families. Miles’ art exists because of his drive toward engagement and participation in life, but also essential is his mother’s commitment to providing opportunities for him to be creative. The Miles eMOTION series of paintings can inspire occupational therapists, families, caregivers, and people with disabilities to ...

Online Learning Of Safe Patient Transfers In Occupational Therapy Education, Cynthia L. Hayden D. H. Ed., Otr/L, Cht

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Online higher education is steadily increasing. For programs in allied health to be offered effectively in an e-learning format, clinical psychomotor skills need to be addressed. The aim of this research was to design, implement, and evaluate an online safe patient transfers module for occupational therapy assistant (OTA) students. The efficacy of teaching safe patient transfers in an e-learning environment was appraised using both quantitative and qualitative analysis. The applied research project was completed at a Tennessee community college. A convenience sample of eighteen students participated in the pilot study. Twenty-five students participated in the subsequent study. The instructional design ...

The Training And Use Of Service Dogs In Occupational Therapy Education, Mary Isaacson Atp, Ed.D., Otr/L

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The purpose of this study is to describe the role of occupational therapy fieldwork students in the training of service dogs. Ethnography is an approach that strives to explore and describe the point of view of people. Ethnographers view the researcher as an instrument to gain insight into the subject. This researcher utilized her own experiences as an occupational therapist, an occupational therapy educator, and as a volunteer dog trainer of service dogs. She then validated the process through interviews with key informants. The results indicate that occupational therapists and occupational therapy students are capable of playing a significant role ...

International Occupational Therapists Continuing Education Needs And Opportunities: A Survey, Husny Amerih Ph.D., Otr, Atp

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists (OTs) are expected to maintain up-to-date knowledge and clinical competence by engaging in continuing professional education (CPE). The objective of this research was to obtain information on CPE needs and opportunities in developed and developing countries. A survey was created and emailed to 520 OTs in various countries, asking questions about CPE requirements, opportunities, and the avenues of CPE available to OTs. One hundred-nineteen OTs from 17 different countries responded. Of the 119 OTs, 28 practice in developing countries and 91 practice in developed countries. Thirty-nine percent of the OTs in developing countries stated that they have certain ...

An Evaluation Of The Potential Effectiveness Of A Tai Chi Program For Health Promotion Among People With Severe Mental Illness, Ann M. Chapleau D.H.S., Otr/L, Diane Powers Dirette Ph.D., Otl

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

In response to the significant health disparities among persons with severe mental illness (SMI), this pilot study was developed to evaluate the potential effectiveness of a Tai Chi program provided to adults who are members of a psychosocial clubhouse program. A non-randomized, controlled pretest-posttest design was used, and qualitative data from a program evaluation survey is shared to provide insight into the strengths and limitations of this explorative study. A simplified, beginner-level Tai Chi program was provided twice a week for 12 weeks. Changes in cardiac and pulmonary function and perceived quality of health were measured. Results support the potential ...

Functional Improvement In Older Adults After A Falls Prevention Pilot Study, Pei-Fen J. Chang Ph.D., Otr, Yong-Fang Kuo Ph.D.

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Falls are a costly, disabling, and life-threatening risk in the elderly. Improvements in physical function, balance, lower extremity strength, and health-related quality of life are hypothesized to help mitigate fall risk. In this pilot study, six women and men with an average age of 81 years participated in a 6-week exercise and education program created to reduce risk of falls. Evaluations were made at baseline and at 6 weeks on four tests: the Functional Status Questionnaire, the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the Six-minute Walk Test, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life–BREF 26-question test. Scores indicated significant improvement ...

A Survey To Determine The Reliability Of Dynamometer And Pinch Gauge Dial Readings Among Certified Hand Therapists, Theodore I. King Ii, Ph.D, L.Ac.

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Using a cross-sectional descriptive study design, surveys were mailed to 200 randomly selected certified hand therapists of the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT) to determine how they document analog dynamometer and pinch gauge dial readings. Three different needle settings for the dynamometer and pinch gauge were presented in picture format. For each instrument, one needle setting was just above a gauge marker, one was just below a gauge marker, and one was set exactly between two gauge markers. A total of 126 out of 200 surveys were returned for a participation rate of 63%. For the dynamometer readings, therapists ...

Letter From The Editor: The Importance Of Frames Of Reference, Diane Powers Dirette Ph.D., Otl

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

Contemporary Therapeutic Aquatics: Interprofessional Course, Marcia Levinson, Pt, Phd, Mft, Martha Langley Ankeny, M.Ed. M.Ed., E. Adel Herge, Otd, Otr/L

AISR Staff Papers and Presentations

Aquatic therapy can meet the needs of individuals from childhood to older adulthood with a variety of health conditions, and, in certain situations, is preferable to land-based therapy. Information on this specialized area of practice is minimally covered in entry-level occupational and physical therapy curricula, yet aquatic therapy is a rapidly expanding area of practice.

Measuring Outcomes For Pediatric Mcimt: A Systematic Review, Alison Sheehan

School of Occupational Therapy Theses

The purpose of this systematic review was to determine the most appropriate outcome measures for two groups of children ages 4-7, 8-12 (younger and older) with upper extremity hemiparesis resulting from various diagnoses participating in a three week modified constraint-induced movement therapy (mCIMT) camp. A literature review was conducted to identify outcome measures used to assess mCIMT. Outcome measures were included in the review if they were standardized and appeared in at least two studies. A total of 15 outcome measures were included in the review and categorized into three groups, Areas of Occupation, Performance Skills, and Body Function, based ...

Properties And Applications Of Sensory Outcome Measures In Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Derek Km Cheung

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis aimed to determine the psychometric properties and applications of sensory threshold tools and outcome measures in patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). The first chapter is a psychometric study that defines clinically important difference (CID), construct validity and responsiveness of touch and vibration threshold tools and in the Symptoms Severity Scale (SSS). The study found the CID for the PSSD and for the SSS was 0.15g/mm² and 0.50 respectively. The study also found that the Vibrometer was more representative of hand function and responsive compared PSSD. The second objective of this thesis was to ...