Digital Commons Network^™

The Future In Their Hands: The Perceptions Of Practice Educators On The Strengths And Challenges Of “Generation Y” Occupational Therapy Students, Caroline Hills, Kobie Boshoff, Susan Gilbert-Hunt, Susan Ryan, Derek R. Smith

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Those born between 1982 and 2002 are termed “Generation Y”. This younger generation is thought to have unique characteristics, due to the societal and technological influences that they experienced in their formative years. In occupational therapy, this group has been found to have unique attributes that have impacted on practice education. This study replicated an earlier study to affirm or refute the existence of the Generation Y student in occupational therapy from practice educator perspectives. An Australian university previously developed and administered the survey tool. In this current study, the electronic survey was sent to all practice educators listed …

Evaluation Of A Sleep Knowledge Translation Strategy For Occupational Therapists Working With Persons Who Have Dementia, Laura Laberge, Blaire Sangster, Cary A. Brown

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Introduction: Sleep deficiency is a significant, largely overlooked issue for persons with dementia (PWD), and is associated with physical and mental health problems, increased caregiver burden, and increased likelihood of institutionalization. Despite the high prevalence of sleep deficiency in PWD, most health care professionals lack knowledge of the relationship between sleep problems and dementia. This project aimed to determine the feasibility of an archived online presentation, a knowledge translation (KT) strategy to increase therapists’ understanding of the impact of blue-spectrum light on sleep in PWD.

Method: Therapists who participated in a previous sleep and dementia survey were recruited via email. …

The Effect Of High And Low Antiepileptic Drug Dosage On Simulated Driving Performance In Person’S With Seizures: A Pilot Study, Alexander Crizzle, Sherrilene Classen, Christina Lafranca, William Silver, Stephan Eisenschenk

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Prior studies examining driving performance have not examined the effects of antiepileptic drugs (AED’s) or their dosages in persons with epilepsy. AED’s are the primary form of treatment to control seizures, but they are shown to affect cognition, attention, and vision, all which may impair driving. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of high and low AED dosages on simulated driving performance in persons with seizures.

Method: Patients (N = 11; mean age 42.1 ± 6.3; 55% female; 100% Caucasian) were recruited from the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit and had their driving assessed on a simulator. …

Executive Functioning: Relationship With High School Student Role Performance, Donna P. Mann, Roberta Snover, James R. Boyd, Andrea J. List, Aaron J. Kuhn, Bridget N. Devereaux, Susan M. Chenoweth, Gina L. Middaugh

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

BACKGROUND. Student role performance for academic success in secondary education is under represented in the occupational therapy literature, despite the persistently high dropout rate in the United States (Stillwell & Sable, 2013). Executive dysfunction is one of many possible contributors to difficulties in the classroom (Dirette & Kolak, 2004) and is a better indicator of school performance than IQ (Diamond, 2012). This research examined executive functioning of both alternative and traditional high school students to determine if there is a relationship between executive function and academic success as measured by cumulative grade point average.

METHOD. 132 high school students from …

Personalized Medicine: Definitions, History, And Implications For The Ot Profession, Diane Powers Dirette

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

Understanding User Resistance To Information Technology In Healthcare: The Nature And Role Of Perceived Threats, Madison Ngafeeson

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

Information technology (IT) in healthcare is here to stay. The United States government has made efforts in the past ten years to harness the power of information technologies in healthcare to improve legibility, lessen medical errors, keep costs low, and boost the overall quality of health care. However, IT user resistance in healthcare is continually cited as a major barrier to achieving desired outcomes. Understanding the nature and manifestation of resistance is clearly a key to successfully managing this industry-wide change, fostering adoption, and realizing positive outcomes. Earlier research had established perceived threats as a significant antecedent of user resistance; …

Transactions Of 2015 International Conference On Health Information Technology Advancement Vol.3, No. 1, Center For Health Information Technology Advancement

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

The Third International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement Kalamazoo, Michigan, October 30-31, 2015

Conference Chair Bernard Han, Ph.D., HIT Pro Department of Business Information Systems Haworth College of Business Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI 49008

Transactions Editor Dr. Huei Lee, Professor Department of Computer Information Systems Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI 48197

Volume 3, No. 1

Hosted by The Center for Health Information Technology Advancement, WMU

College Of Arts And Sciences E-News Issue 30: October 2015, College Of Arts And Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

• WMU-Cooley Law School Receives $418,000 Grant
• WMU, Wayne State team up to improve health of state's foster youths
• State of the University address, awards to highlight 2015 Convocation
• 2015 Alumni Achievement Awards
• Rochester hires new city manager
• Dr. Elizabeth Warburton Receives Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship to Israel

The Expert Survey-Based Global Ranking Of Management- And Clinical-Centered Health Informatics And It Journals, Michael S. Dohan, Alexander Serenko, Joseph Tan Phd

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

The goal of this study is to develop an expert survey-based journal ranking for the Health Informatics & Information Technology (HIIT) field. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association and Journal of Medical Internet Research were ranked as top HIIT management-focused journals, and BMC Medical Informatics & Decision Making and IEEE Journal of Biomedical & Health Informatics were ranked as top HIIT clinical-focused journals. This ranking benefits academics who conduct research in this field because it allows them to direct their research to appropriate journals, convey their accomplishments to tenure and promotion committees, and experience other benefits.

First Generation College Students And Mobile Device Acceptance In Nursing Education, Deanna Gapp, Tsu-Yin Wu

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

The National League for Nursing (2009) states that nurse educators must commit to diversity in education by reviewing practices that favor and exclude students. First generation college students (FGCS) have a background that may hinder success and require support to overcome barriers in a nursing program- including mobile device acceptance. A cross-sectional survey of 37 students showed significant differences; FGCS have higher results than non-FGCS in six of the eight key constructs of mobile device acceptance. Mobile devices may help bridge the digital divide. By increasing emphasis on mobile device functioning in the nursing curriculum, nurse educators can continue to …

Can Psychology Research Inform Health Information Data Collection?, A. Michelle Wright

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

Conclusions drawn from electronic medical records (EMRs) are only as accurate as the data provided. Recent findings by psychologists and health researchers may help streamline health information data collection and subsequent data analysis. Specifically, four areas will be discussed: (1) Standardization of terms between the patient and the health professionals, (2) Impact of patient inattention and fatigue when responding to health measures, (3) Importance of source labeling within the medical record (e.g., self-administered questionnaire, responded via phone, etc.), (4) Cognitive load on patients when using mobile health technology (e.g., apps, tablets, online patient portal, etc.). Research suggests consideration of these …

The Socializer-Fall 2015, Department Of Sociology

The Socializer

Fall 2015 Sociology departmental newsletter.

Does Unlearning Impact Interaction Of Ehr End-Users?, Julee Hafner, Cherie Noteboom

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

Organizations need to remain competitive in today’s marketplace. Technology change impacts knowledge competencies that require alteration quickly, to reduce operating costs, and eliminate human errors. Updating computer system documentation procedures require unlearning to maintain competency. Physician end-users possess specialized competencies, or knowledge base in documentation of patient data to the degree that these operations have become automatic. To change the knowledge base of practitioners, end-users must use intellectual capital to unlearn patient care EHR documentation. This study focused on competency change, with the perceptions and influencers of unlearning of old competencies during EHR updates.

Enewsletter- October 2015, College Of Education And Human Development

College of Education and Human Development News

• Three WMU Professors Awarded U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Grant
• TRiO Receives $1.1 Million Grant
• Alumni Ranked in Most Influential People in Healthcare List
• Graduate Named America's Best Adapted Physical Education Teacher of 2015
• TLES Alumni Selected to America Achieves Michigan Educator Voice Fellowship
• Student is Third in a Row from FCS to Win National Scholarship

Lhc Lines- Fall 2015, Lee Honors College

Lee Honors College News

• Greetings Friends and Alumni!
• Staff Spotlight:
• Outstanding Alumni
• Alumni Updates
• Raise Your Voice
• Study in the States
• What’s New
• Graduation
• Recent Graduates
• Student Research and Study Abroad
• Alpha Lambda Delta
• In Memory of Carl Lee

Smart Home Healthcare Settings: A Qualitative Study Of The Domain Boundary, Ahmad Alaiad, Dorsa Ziaei, Muhammad Al-Ayyad

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

Addressing the health problems of the 21st century will require individuals to use a new set of medical and public health resources that extend beyond historic and traditional medical devices and are built on current and smart information technologies. Much of these new medical tools was originally designed by device manufacturers to be used only in clinical settings and by trained healthcare professionals but recently are finding their way into the home nevertheless. Their migration to the home poses many challenges to both caregivers and care recipients. In order to facilitate their migration to the home, it is very important …

Examining The Performance Of Older And Younger Adults When Interacting With A Mobile Solution Supporting Levels Of Dexterity, Ayidh Alqahtani, Abdulwhab Alsalmah, Ahmad Alaiad

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

The purpose of this research is to develop and evaluate a mobile game to support the needs of adults aiming to strengthen their perceptual and dexterity skills. The game itself is an advanced version of a Whack-A-Mole style game, in which the user is required to select visual targets, as quickly and accurately as possible. In this version of the game, the user is able to modify the speed, target size, and availability of distracters. In this paper, the performance between older and younger users has been compared. Older adults had spent more time and missed more compared to the …

Western Michigan University Magazine, Fall 2015, Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University Magazine (1997-present)

• University News
• In Print
• Expert Insights
• College News
• Classnotes
• In Memoriam
• Alumni Profile
• A Historic Rebirth
• Exonerating the Innocent
• Something's in the Air
• Mending the Gap
• Flexible Expertise

Western News, Sept. 24, 2015, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: WMU launches new state autism resource; First Western Heights residents to showcase new hall; Four of 10 campuswide award winners announced; On Campus with April Eby.

The Neurochemistry And Social Flow Of Singing: Bonding And Oxytocin, Jason R. Keeler, Brittany L. Neuser, John M. Spitsbergen, Daniel J.M. Waters, John-Mary Vianney

BRAIN Lab Research

Music is used in healthcare to promote physical and psychological well-being. As clinical applications of music continue to expand, there is a growing need to understand the biological mechanisms by which music influences health. Here we explore the neurochemistry and social flow of group singing. Four participants from a vocal jazz ensemble were conveniently sampled to sing together in two separate performances: pre-composed and improvised. Concentrations of plasmaoxytocin and adrenocorticotropichormone (ACTH) were measured before and after each singing condition to assess levels of social affiliation, engagement and arousal. Avalidated assessment off low state was administered after each singing condition to …

Determining The Fates Of Wmu’S Programs In Educational Technology And Organization Learning And Performance, Brian Horvitz

Academic Leadership Academy

In 2011, a decision was made by the WMU College of Education and Human Development to move the Human Resource Development (HRD) program out of the Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology (CECP) department and into the Educational Leadership, Research, & Technology (ELRT) department. Upon migrating into ELRT, HRD was renamed Organizational Learning and Performance (OLP). The OLP program prepares students to transform their workplace through the use of innovative learning technologies.

The ELRT department is also home to the Educational Technology (EDT) unit. This program prepares learning professionals with specialized knowledge and competencies required to train and coach others in …

Western's Evaluation Center For Autism And Neurodevelopmental Disorders (Wecan) Ribbon Cutting, John M. Dunn

WMU President John Dunn

No abstract provided.

Western News, Sept. 10, 2015, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: WMU to be key player in national initiative; Six of 10 Universitywide award winners announced; Numerous happenings at WMU made for productive summer; CELCIS one of six programs to reach reaccreditation milestone; On Campus with Erasmo Salinas.

Federal Advances To Support Grandfamilies, Ana Beltran

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

It is the year of grandfamilies in our nation’s capital. Not since the mid-1990s has there been so much activity among federal lawmakers and policymakers to try to help all grandfamilies, both those within and outside the foster care system. In August 2015, a major piece of legislation was introduced in Congress, which would make holistic reforms to our nation’s child welfare financing system. For the first time, child welfare funds could be used to provide supportive services to parents and grandfamilies outside the system, so children do not have to enter it. For those children who are removed from …

Experiences With Grandparents And Attitudes Toward Custodial Grandparenting, Julie Hicks Patrick, Allyson Stella Graf, Danielle K. Nadorff, Bert Hayslip Jr.

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

The goals of the current study were to examine attitudes about custodial grandparents and to examine whether personal experiences with grandparents influenced those attitudes. Data were provided by 730 younger adults (mean age about 20 years) who completed surveys regarding their experiences with their own grandparents, attitudes toward custodial grandparenting, and openness to becoming a custodial grandparent in the future. Mean differences in attitudes as a function of experience did emerge. In addition, a mixed structural model showed that young adults who felt their grandparents helped to raise them perceived custodial grandparenting as less distressing, and it was these perceptions …

Bullying And Victimization Among Children Raised By Grandparents, Oliver W. Edwards

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Increasing numbers of school-age children are being raised by their grandparents. Yet, a dearth of research investigates the children in these families. The few studies suggest the children experience higher levels of academic, behavioral, and emotional difficulties than their peers. These behaviors are often associated with involvement in bullying, but no empirical research investigates bullying among children raised by their grandparents. This current study helps to fill the noted lack of research in this area and the gap in the literature by investigating the intersection of these two important phenomena – bullying and children raised by their grandparents. This study …

Group Leaders’ Perceptions Of Interventions With Grandparent Caregivers: Content And Process, Bert Hayslip Jr., Julian Montoro-Rodriguez, Gregory C. Smith, Frederick Strieder

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Nineteen (Mage = 45, SD = 12.8) professionally trained group leaders were surveyed regarding their experiences in leading a 10-week program with one of three RCT conditions (cognitive behavior training, parenting skills training, information only support). While a high percentage indicated that the intervention led by them was beneficial, leaders nevertheless felt that some participants benefited more so than others. Perceived program benefits were seen as being linked to regular attendance and the completion of weekly homework. The major benefits to participants were gaining personal insight, receiving and providing support to others, successfully applying learned skills and knowledge …

Challenges And Resilience In African American Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: A Review Of The Literature With Practice Implications, Fengyan Tang, Heejung Jang, Valire Carr Copeland

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

This paper reviews literature on grandparents raising grandchildren, focusing on caregiving challenges and resilience in African American grandparent caregivers within a socio-cultural context. A strengths perspective that emphasizes capacities and competencies at the individual, family, and community levels is applied in understanding how African American grandparents rely on their strengths to overcome caregiving challenges. Building on the review of social programs and intervention services that targeted empowerment practice, the authors propose an empowerment model of working with African American grandparents, that is, building capacities through an empowerment process to address caregiving challenges and to achieve positive caregiving outcomes. Finally, the …

Complete Issue

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

No abstract

Enewsletter - September 2015, College Of Education And Human Development

College of Education and Human Development News

• Three WMU Professors Awarded U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Grant
• TRiO Receives $1.1 Million Grant
• Alumni Ranked in Most Influential People in Healthcare List
• Graduate Named America's Best Adapted Physical Education Teacher of 2015
• TLES Alumni Have Been Selected to America Achieves Michigan Educator Voice Fellowship
• FCS to Win National Scholarship