Digital Commons Network^™

Animal Assisted Therapy In Pediatric Speech-Language Therapy With A Preschool Child With Severe Language Delay: A Single-Subject Design, Heather K. Anderson, Sandra L. Hayes, Julie P. Smith

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Background: The application of animal assisted therapy (AAT) in provision of services is an emerging area of research in the allied health literature. Prior investigators have called for additional research concerning applications of animal assisted therapy in specific settings and patient populations.

Objectives: to (a) investigate the effect of animal assisted therapy on the quantity of vocalizations in a single child participant with severe speech delay, and (b) identify optimal animal assisted therapy practices in pediatric group speech-language therapy.

Design: A case study was conducted using ABA single-case design. The number of vocalizations produced by the participant was measured …

Cultivating Acute Care Rehabilitation Team Collaboration Using The Kawa Model, Jayme L. Ober, Jennifer E. Lape

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Effective healthcare team collaboration is imperative for quality client-centered care, job satisfaction, and overall morale. Rehabilitation team collaboration can be impacted by high productivity demands, differing backgrounds of individual team members, and the unpredictable healthcare environment. The Kawa (river) model, a culturally-neutral model of occupational therapy practice, has been shown to improve communication and collaboration with its use of metaphors, but its utility in various contexts to enhance collaborative practice is still being explored. The purpose of this study was to implement an evidence-based teambuilding intervention with use of the Kawa model to investigate the impact on acute care …

Critical Appraisal Of “Immediate Changes In Spinal Heights And Pain After Aquatic Vertical Traction In Patients With Persistent Low Back Symptoms: A Crossover Clinical Trial” By Simmerman Et Al -- An Opinion Piece, David C. Berry, Nicole Miela

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to critically review the article, Immediate changes in spinal height and pain after aquatic vertical traction in patients with persistent low back symptoms: a crossover clinical trial. PM R.2011 May;3(5):447-57. [PMID: 21570033] doi: 10.1016/j.pmrj.2011.01.010. Methods: Study, key evidence including study design, sample population, procedure, outcome measures, and results were summarized. Critical appraisal of the study's internal, external, and statistical validity followed. Results: In a crossover study of 61 total subjects, mean age 59.6 years, fifteen minutes of supine land-based flexion and weighted aquatic vertical traction were applied in both groups preceded by …

Pelvic Physical Therapy For Chronic Pain And Dysfunction Following Laparoscopic Excision Of Endometriosis: Case Report, Jennifer B. Hunt

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

ABSTRACT

Background: Pelvic pain and abnormal pelvic floor muscle (PFM) tension frequently are present in individuals with endometriosis and often persist even after surgical excision of the endometriosis lesions. Physical therapists are educated in improving muscle tone and function for individuals who have sustained injury, have had surgery, or have required rehabilitation for various pelvic health conditions. More scientific evidence is needed to support the benefits of physical therapy (PT) interventions for individuals with a history of endometriosis. Case Description: The 50-year old female patient presented in this case report underwent laparoscopic excision of endometriosis, yet she continued to …

Organizational Socialization: Experiences Of Junior Faculty In Athletic Training Education Programs, Stephanie M. Mazerolle, Sara Nottingham, Kelly Coleman

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Background: New faculty members become oriented to their new positions through numerous methods, such as institutional mechanisms as well as networking with various individuals. The process of acculturation is often complex, and best understood from a socialization framework. Role transition for the faculty member is often accomplished through professional socialization, or the experiences prior to beginning a faculty position. However, role transition also continues once the newly minted doctoral student is catapulted into employment. This dynamic, on-going process is often seen as organizational socialization. Objective: We sought to understand how Athletic Training faculty members navigate role transition, from doctoral student …

Integration Of Vision And Vestibular Therapy For Vestibulo-Ocular Post-Concussion Disorder – A Case Study, Lauren Ziaks, Rosemary Giardina, Anne Kloos

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The purpose of this case study was to examine the effectiveness of integrated vision and vestibular therapy for an individual with oculomotor and vestibular system impairments secondary to a concussion further defined as vestibulo-ocular post-concussion disorder. A secondary purpose was to suggest an appropriate timeline to introduce vision therapy and integrate vestibular rehabilitation therapy based on protocol used in an outpatient concussion rehabilitation clinic.

Method This was a case study on a 16-year-old female with protracted concussion recovery. Treatment consisted of 9 in-clinic visits for vision therapy with the final 6 visits addressing vision and vestibular deficits. A home …

Communication Sciences And Disorders Graduate Students' Strengths And Vulnerabilities Related To Resilience: A Survey Of Graduate Programs, Janet Tilstra, Megan Coffman, Teresa Gonia, Caroline Koziol, Ellen Liebe

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Burnout in health care professionals may pose a threat to the quality of care provided in any setting. The purpose of this project was to examine dimensions related to future resilience in CSD graduate students. METHODS: In this project, 146 master’s degree students from Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) programs in the Midwest completed an online survey regarding lifestyle stresses affecting resilience, and patterns in five areas correlated with resilience. RESULTS: Top lifestyle stresses affecting academics were general stress, maintaining mental health, and sleep difficulties. Notably, more than half of the participants reported feeling rested three or fewer days …

Development Of A Program To Educate Physician Assistant Students On Performance Of A Comprehensive Breast Exam, Pamela B. Jaffey, Diana Cherkiss, Mara Sanchez, Patrick Hardigan

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a new program to educate physician assistant (PA) students on the performance of a comprehensive breast exam and to test its effectiveness as compared to the previous program. Methods: The preexisting educational program for the performance of a clinical breast exam was evaluated during the term prior to the start of clinical rotations for the class of 2015. Baseline data were obtained from this control group by evaluation of student competency using a skills examination, utilizing a Nasco Advanced Breast Exam Simulator, and using a female standardized patient. An innovative …

The Use Of An Experiential Educational Activity To Promote Interprofessional Education In Physical And Occupational Therapist Students, Amy L. Brzuz, Beth Gustafson

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

In many healthcare settings, interprofessional collaborative practice is expected of healthcare professionals to facilitate optimal patient outcomes. To prepare healthcare professionals to provide this collaborative practice, institutions of higher education are infusing interprofessional education activities into their healthcare curricula. While interprofessional education activities have been demonstrated to be beneficial for students, the creation and implementation of these types of activities by higher education faculty can be challenging. Factors such as logistics, curricular differences, and already busy course schedules can sway faculty from developing interprofessional experiences for their students. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and implementation …

Factors Influencing Breast Cancer Genetic Testing Among High Risk African American Women: A Systematic Review, Shirley Ann Spencer, Carolyn Rodgers, Vickii Coffey

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

African American women are disproportionately impacted by breast cancer and its associated effects. They have the highest breast cancer mortality rate of all racial and ethnic groups in the U.S., yet, many high risk African American women do not follow-up with genetic testing despite, having a shorter survival rate and more likely to develop malignancies or aggressive forms of breast cancer than white women. Purpose: This review explored breast cancer genetic follow up and barriers among African American women and made recommendations for designing tailored high risk breast cancer programs. Method: The Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction framework provided …

Clinical Instructor Perceptions Of The Collaborative Clinical Education Model: Providing Solutions For Success In Physical Therapy Education, Katherine Myers, Alice Davis, Shelene Thomas, Catherine Bilyeu

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The most common approach to physical therapy clinical education is the one-to-one (1:1) model. The collaborative clinical education model (CCEM) offers an alternative and beneficial approach to education but is not widely utilized within physical therapy. The primary aim of this study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of clinical instructors (CIs) teaching within the CCEM while also receiving structured support from an academic program. Methods: This study used semi-structured interviews before and after the CCEM experience to explore CI perceptions. CIs received formalized support that included pre-experience meetings, a CCEM Toolkit resource, scheduled follow-ups during the experience, …

Best Practices For Occupational Therapy Fellowship And Physical Therapy Residency Programs: A Mixed Method Study, Morgan Chapman, Emily Lehman, Lauren Pedersen, Anna Sibson, Jianqiu Xiao, Anna Domina

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The purpose of this sequential mixed methods study was to investigate occupational therapy fellowship and physical therapy residency directors’ perceptions of components of a successful residency program. Methods: A pilot survey was administered to occupational therapy fellowship and physical therapy residency directors prior to the study. A 17-item self-report survey was used to gather fellowship and residency director perceptions on the success of their respective programs. Directors of approved occupational therapy fellowship programs and accredited physical therapy residency programs were invited to participate. Following completion of the survey, follow-up interviews were conducted to deepen the understanding of director …

Reviewing The Diagnostic Classifications Used For Low Back Pain In Physiotherapy-Related Research., Steve Milanese, David Worth

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Background: The evidence-to-practice gap, where clinical practice does not reflect the findings from research evidence, has been identified as a concern in allied health disciplines such as physiotherapy. Failure to provide care according to current (research) evidence raises the potential that patients are receiving care that is either not needed, is ineffective, less effective than current research indicates, or potentially harmful. For research evidence to be translatable to clinical practice, the research should be seen to be applicable, i.e. the clinician should be able to recognise that the research study sample reflects their patient population. Method: This study presents …

Mbti® Type And Interprofessional Communication In Doctor Of Physical Therapy Students, Laura J. Smith, Christin P. Curtis, Morgan Perry, Laura Lovasco, Amy M. Yorke, Susan A. Talley

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Interprofessional education (IPE) improves patient outcomes and health care by use of appropriate communication. Personality factors may affect communication in interprofessional collaborations. The purposes of this study were to identify common Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) personality types of entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy students along with gender difference and to make recommendations as to how the MBTI® assessment can used to help develop the interprofessional communication competency domain among student physical therapists. Method: Thirty-two entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy students in the first semester of their third year of study completed the paper based, MBTI® Form M Self-Scorable. Results: …

Ranking Of The Generic Abilities Among Baby Boomer, Generation X, And Millennial Physical Therapists And Physical Therapy Students, Catherine D. Noonan, Jennifer Bunn, Heidi Shearin

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Background: The events and social conditions experienced by a generational cohort are thought to shape values and behaviors. Numerous studies have correlated generational differences with unique professional behaviors and educational preferences. However, few studies have examined this theory in the practice of physical therapy. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess generational differences in ranking of the Generic Abilities, a tool for assessing professional behaviors, as used in physical therapy in the United States of America. Methods: An online survey including demographic information, region of residence, years of experience, and ranking of Generic Abilities was sent via …

Impact Of International Immersion Experiences In Occupational Therapy Education: A Retrospective Survey, Joyce Salls, Ingrid Provident, Cathy Dolhi

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

ABSTRACT

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of an international education experience on participants’ self-perceived personal growth, international perspective, and intellectual development using a modified version of the International Education Survey (IES). Method. Seventy-one participants, representing occupational therapy practitioners and students from multiple universities, completed the survey. Results. Mean scores were highest for impact in the area of International Perspectives (M= 5.32), followed by Personal Development (M=4.65), and Intellectual Development (M=4.05). Additionally, 100% of the participants responded that all university students should be encouraged to engage in international education experiences (M=6.66). Qualitative comments related to …

Interprofessional Role Clarity, Case-Based Learning, And Perceptions Of Group Effectiveness Among Athletic Training And Physical Therapy Students In A Shared Professional Course, Katie Sniffen, Erick Briggs, Leslie Hinyard, Anthony P. Breitbach

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Health professions students experience professional socialization during their program of study. Institutions have turned to interprofessional education as a means of preparing students for their role as collaborative health care professionals. This study examines the effect of case-based learning experiences in a shared professional Therapeutic Modalities course on student’s interprofessional role clarity as well as the relationship between interprofessional role clarity and measure of group effectiveness. Methods: 112 students (22 Athletic Training and 90 Physical Therapy) were assigned to one of 18 interprofessional and 18 uniprofessional teams and asked to complete four case-based learning activities. All students completed …

Comprehensive Knowledge Assessment For Athletic Trainers: Part I, Lindsey E. Eberman, Jessica R. Edler, Kenneth E. Games

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Continuing education (CE) is intended to help clinicians maintain competence, develop and advance knowledge and skills, and enhance knowledge, skills, and abilities beyond the levels required for entry-level practice. Based on previous literature, the current mode of CE in athletic training does not appear to be helping clinicians maintain competence. The purpose of this research was to validate a comprehensive assessment based on the Role Delineation Study/Practice Analysis (6^th ed.) through item analysis and estimates of reliability to be used to assess athletic trainers’ actual knowledge. Method: We conducted an instrumentation validation study using Qualtrics^® web-based platform. …

Exploring The Use Of Video-Recorded Practical Examination Performance To Enhance Student Self-Assessment, Ellen R. Perlow, Niamh M. Tunney, Jeffrey G. Ebert

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to explore the ability of doctor of physical therapy students to self-assess performance during a video-recorded practical examination, to evaluate student perceptions of the experience, and to determine their perception of their ability to self-assess. Method: A cross-sectional design with students from 2 consecutive cohorts was utilized. Participants worked in groups of three conducting a video-recorded gait training session. Students graded their own performance immediately upon completing the practical examination. Students then regraded their performance from the video recording. The instructor graded each student’s video-recorded performance using the same rubric as …

Inside Outsourcing: Experiences Of Outsourced Physical Therapy Services In Dutch Hospitals, Rudi A. Steenbruggen Pt, Mba, Hannah Boven Msc

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Over the past years, it has become more common in Dutch hospitals to outsource allied healthcare services to the private sector. This development has affected hospital-based physical therapy significantly. And as a result, there is an increasing need for guidance in this new situation. In response to this, the Dutch Association of Physical Therapy in Hospitals (NVZF) conducted a comprehensive study into the process of outsourcing with the objective to inform and advise physical therapy services in hospitals about outsourcing developments. Eight Dutch hospitals where physical therapy services had been outsourced or where this option was explored, were interviewed. The …

Creating Significant Learning Experiences For Clinical Reasoning By Physical Therapist Students, Lois A. Stickley

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Background: Clinical reasoning skills are embedded in all aspects of practice. There is a lack of consensus and standards for curriculum design and teaching methods of clinical reasoning in entry-level education of health professionals. Purpose: The purpose was to describe a process of designing one comprehensive, planned sequence of four courses to create significant learning experiences for clinical reasoning for Doctor of Physical Therapy students. Method: Fink’s design process was used to develop four clinical decision-making courses to ensure a close alignment of learning goals, feedback and assessment, and learning activities to engage students in practicing components of clinical reasoning. …

Physical Therapy Faculty, Clinical Instructors, And Employer Expectations For New Dpt Graduates In The Acute Care Setting, Leah Nof, Claudia Gazsi, Shari Rone-Adams, Debra F. Stern

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine how the expectations of new graduate physical therapists held by physical therapy faculty (PTF), clinical instructors (CIs), and employers (PTE) compared in the acute care (AC) setting, and determine if graduates are meeting the entry-level expectations of the three stakeholders in acute care. Methods: This mixed method study used Survey Monkey to gather data from participants. Faculty, CIs and PTEs were recruited from CAPTE accredited DPT programs. The current survey used the top 25 characteristics developed by the Delphi study by Gazsi to determine level of agreement of importance among …

Effects Of Pre-Workout Supplements On Strength, Endurance, And Mood, Anya C. Ellerbroek, Jose Antonio

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the acute effects of consuming pre-workout supplements on indices of muscular strength, endurance and mood states.

Methods: In a double- blind, placebo-controlled, randomized crossover design, fourteen moderate to highly-trained recreational athletes (7 female, 7 male) participated in this investigation. Subjects came to the lab twice between testing sessions. They consumed either pre supplement (mixed with 8 to 12 ounces of water) or placebo 30-minutes prior to testing. The pre-workout supplement combination (Athelite Nutrition Inc.) contained 15.62 grams per serving, 25 kcals, that consisted of a proprietary blend including caffeine (as …

Setting Research Priorities Within Allied Health: What Do Clinicians Think?, Annette Davis, Den-Ching Angel Lee, Lisa-Anabell Wenzel, Terry Haines

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Background: Research activity among allied health clinicians working in publicly funded health care organisations is growing, yet little attention has been paid to how these activities are prioritised. Without a specific framework to guide research direction, it is likely that research will be conducted in areas that are prioritised by individual clinicians. However, it is presently unknown what areas are prioritised by clinicians and the reasoning behind their prioritisation. Purpose: The aims of this study were to identify what clinicians identify to be the highest priority research across personal, department, and health service levels, and the reasons why. It also …

Career Regret Among Physician Assistants: A Comparative Survey Of Primary And Specialty Care Careers, Talia Sierra, Jennifer Forbes, Michael Nelson

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: This study investigated if career regret varies among physician assistants (PAs) practicing in primary and specialty care fields. This information may assist practicing and aspiring physician assistants when selecting or changing their career path.

Methods: A survey was emailed to 5,000 primary and specialty care physician assistants. Items indicating career regret were compared between primary and specialty care groups.

Results: Eight hundred and thrity-four (16.7%) completed surveys were received back. Career regret is similar between primary and specialty care physician assistants, with low reports from both groups. No statistical significance was found between primary care and specialty care groups …

Epidemiology Of Equestrian Accidents: A Literature Review, Lauren Meredith, Robert Ekman, Karin Brolin

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: This manuscript aimed to present a review of the literature pertaining to horse riding and other horse-related injuries.

Method: A review of the literature was performed, searching for appropriate terms with regards to horse accidents, horse riding injuries and protective clothing for the horse riding context. The literature review search returned 151 relevant full-text articles, with 71 of these detailing the overall injury epidemiology of horse-related accidents. Most of these studies were conducted in the USA and used a retrospective review of hospital data methodology.

Results: Of the 71 articles investigated, 60 suggested that those most frequently involved in …

Waist Circumference, Waist Hip Ratio And Body Mass Index In Female Undergraduates Of A Tertiary Institution In Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study, Adamu A. Rufa'i, Karimah I. Sajoh, Adewale L. Oyeyemi, Abdullahi S. Gwani

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Obesity and overweight are associated with variety of conditions detrimental to health, wellbeing and longevity. Waist circumference and waist to hip ratio are indicators of risk of central adiposity while body mass index is an indicator of overall risk of obesity. Body mass index has been traditionally used as a standard for determining overweight and obesity. This study was designed to determine the relationship between waist circumference, waist to hip ratio and body mass index among female undergraduates of a Nigerian University. Also prevalence of obesity based on waist circumference, waist to hip ratio and body mass index was …

Openacc Based Gpu Parallelization Of Plane Sweep Algorithm For Geometric Intersection, Anmol Paudel, Satish Puri

Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

Line segment intersection is one of the elementary operations in computational geometry. Complex problems in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) like finding map overlays or spatial joins using polygonal data require solving segment intersections. Plane sweep paradigm is used for finding geometric intersection in an efficient manner. However, it is difficult to parallelize due to its in-order processing of spatial events. We present a new fine-grained parallel algorithm for geometric intersection and its CPU and GPU implementation using OpenMP and OpenACC. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work demonstrating an effective parallelization of plane sweep on GPUs. …

Mirdriver: A Tool To Infer Copy Number Derived Mirna-Gene Networks In Cancer, Banabithi Bose, Serdar Bozdag

Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

Copy number aberration events such as amplifications and deletions in chromosomal regions are prevalent in cancer patients. Frequently aberrated copy number regions include regulators such as microRNAs (miRNAs), which regulate downstream target genes that involve in the important biological processes in tumorigenesis and proliferation. Many previous studies explored the miRNA-gene interaction networks but copy number-derived miRNA regulations are limited. Identifying copy number-derived miRNA-target gene regulatory interactions in cancer could shed some light on biological mechanisms in tumor initiation and progression. In the present study, we developed a computational pipeline, called miRDriver which is based on the hypothesis that copy number …

Analyzing Happiness: Investigation On Happy Moments Using A Bag-Of-Words Approach And Related Ethical Discussions, Riddhiman Adib, Eyad Aldawood, Nathan Lang, Nina Lasswell, Shion Guha

Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

In this research paper, we analyzed what moments and activities make people happy, based on a collection of happy moments. We are focusing on specific happy moments from a collection of text responses that people have shared through the crowd-sourcing platform: Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Using crowd-sourcing to collect our data allows us to advance our understanding of the cause of happiness, by focusing on words and real human experiences. Workers of MTurk were asked to reflect on what makes them happy in a given period and share three specific moments in complete sentences. Through text-based analysis, we will look …