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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Teaching For Cultural Competence In Non-Diverse Environments, Mary L. Romanello, Karen Holtgrefe Oct 2009

Teaching For Cultural Competence In Non-Diverse Environments, Mary L. Romanello, Karen Holtgrefe

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present teaching strategies to enhance students’ cultural competence in non-diverse educational settings. Methods: Utilizing Purnell’s cultural competence model and Lattanzi’s cultural ladder the authors describe teaching strategies used to promote students’ understanding of the complex nature of culture and how the multiple layers of culture influence the healthcare professional-client relationship. Teaching strategies and subsequent student reflections are presented. Results: Students adjusted client interventions and plans of care when confronted with various cultural characteristics of their clients. Integrating cultural issues in non-diverse academic settings challenges faculty to create situations that include cultural differences. …


Distress With Breathing In People With Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review, Elizabeth Quast, Marie Williams Oct 2009

Distress With Breathing In People With Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review, Elizabeth Quast, Marie Williams

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

While the prevalence of shortness of breath has been reported to be as frequent as pain in people with lung cancer, less attention has been paid to the distress associated with this symptom (dyspnea). This systematic review of the literature was undertaken to investigate how this symptom has been assessed and whether breathlessness in people with lung cancer is distressing. Using a pre-determined search strategy and inclusion criteria, thirty-one primary studies were identified and included in this review. A variety of outcome measures have been used to assess the experience of dyspnea with domains including intensity, distress, quality of life, …


Does The Sensation Of Breathlessness Change Over Time In People With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease? A Systematic Review, Claire Mcevoy, Marie Williams Oct 2009

Does The Sensation Of Breathlessness Change Over Time In People With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease? A Systematic Review, Claire Mcevoy, Marie Williams

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

The aim of this systematic review was to identify and appraise studies which tracked changes in the sensation of breathlessness, as described in terms of intensity, unpleasantness, its effect on impairment levels or quality of life, over two or more years in people with COPD. Four major databases were searched. Twelve studies were included for full analysis. These studies were a mix of observational and experimental in their design, and were found to have high methodological quality. Subjects in the studies were, overall, severely impaired at the start of the two year period, according to level of airflow restriction. Impairment …


International Students’ Perspectives Of An Introductory Course As Preparation For Entry Into A Postgraduate Physiotherapy Program, Jennifer Roberts, Rebekah Das, Saravana Kumar Oct 2009

International Students’ Perspectives Of An Introductory Course As Preparation For Entry Into A Postgraduate Physiotherapy Program, Jennifer Roberts, Rebekah Das, Saravana Kumar

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Introductory or preparatory courses are often provided to international students in Australia as means to help them adjust to a new cultural and communication environment and a foreign educational setting. However, there is very little evaluation research on these introductory courses, especially from students’ perspectives, on their merits and demerits. Methods: This research utilised primary and secondary research methods. Firstly, a systematic review of the literature was undertaken to identify international students’ perspectives of education in Australia. Secondly, using qualitative and quantitative research methods, international postgraduate physiotherapy students’ perspectives of an introductory course at an Australian educational institution was …


Provision Of Health Promotion Information By Physiotherapists To In-Patients In A Tertiary Hospital: A Pilot Study, Chris J. Macfarlane, Kathy Stiller Jul 2009

Provision Of Health Promotion Information By Physiotherapists To In-Patients In A Tertiary Hospital: A Pilot Study, Chris J. Macfarlane, Kathy Stiller

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The provision of health promotion information is an important part of the management of hospitalised patients. Allied health practitioners are often involved in the provision of this information. No studies appear to have documented the rate of provision of health promotion material by physiotherapists to hospitalised patients. The aim of this pilot study was to measure the frequency with which health promotion information was provided to in-patients by physiotherapists and to evaluate patients’ perception of the effectiveness of this information. Method: Retrospective medical record audits and follow-up telephone interviews were undertaken over an 18 month period for patients who …


Prevalence And Pattern Of Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis In Nigeria: A Community-Based Study, Aderonke Omobonike Akinpelu, Temitope Olugbenga Alonge, Babatunde Ayo Adekanla, Adesola Christiana Odole Jul 2009

Prevalence And Pattern Of Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis In Nigeria: A Community-Based Study, Aderonke Omobonike Akinpelu, Temitope Olugbenga Alonge, Babatunde Ayo Adekanla, Adesola Christiana Odole

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of disability, affecting 60-70% of people aged ≥60 years. Community-based prevalence estimates of OA in Nigeria are not readily available for referencing. This study investigated the prevalence and pattern of knee OA in Igbo-Ora, a rural community in Southwestern Nigeria. Methods: A total of 1044 adults (487 males, 557 females) aged ≥ 40 years in Igbo-Ora were recruited into this door-to-door survey through multi-stage cluster sampling. Knee OA was diagnosed using the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) clinical criteria. Knee OA severity was assessed using the Lequesne Algofunctional Index and interference with role …


The Relationship Between Staff Compliance With Implementing Discharge Planning Guidelines, And Stroke Patients’ Experiences Post-Discharge, Julie Luker, Karen Grimmer-Somers Jul 2009

The Relationship Between Staff Compliance With Implementing Discharge Planning Guidelines, And Stroke Patients’ Experiences Post-Discharge, Julie Luker, Karen Grimmer-Somers

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: To investigate staff compliance with discharge planning clinical guideline recommendations in an acute stroke unit, and its relationship with post-discharge experiences of stroke patients and their carers. Subjects: Fifty acute stroke patients were systematically recruited for a retrospective patient record audit of staff compliance with clinical guideline recommendations related to discharge planning. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted over six months post-discharge on patients’ actual community support needs and experiences. Audit and patient experience data were integrated to seek evidence of 1) characteristics of patients receiving guideline-compliant care, 2) relationships between staff compliance with discharge planning recommendations and patient’s post-discharge …


Which Assessments And Interventions Do Physiotherapists Value In The Management Of Adults With Cystic Fibrosis In Australia?, Kathy Stiller, Dianne White, Marie Williams Jul 2009

Which Assessments And Interventions Do Physiotherapists Value In The Management Of Adults With Cystic Fibrosis In Australia?, Kathy Stiller, Dianne White, Marie Williams

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Evidence based practice involves the integration of three main components: best available research evidence, practitioner’s clinical expertise, and patient’s preferences. While the effectiveness of physiotherapy interventions for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) has been extensively studied, no studies have explored physiotherapists’ perceptions and values concerning their management of patients with CF. The aim of this study was to document the opinions and values that CF physiotherapists in Australia have regarding their management of patients with CF. Method: A purpose-designed questionnaire addressing these issues was mailed to all 38 physiotherapists working with adults with CF on a regular/frequent basis in …


Translation And Alternate Forms Reliability Of The Visual Analogue Scale In The Three Major Nigerian Languages, Adesola C. Odole, Aderonke O. Akinpelu Jul 2009

Translation And Alternate Forms Reliability Of The Visual Analogue Scale In The Three Major Nigerian Languages, Adesola C. Odole, Aderonke O. Akinpelu

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Our aims were to translate the anchors on the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) into the three major Nigerian Languages and determine the adequacy of the alternate forms reliability of the VAS in these translations. Methods: The anchors on the VAS were translated into Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa languages by linguistic experts and taken through back translation, clinical committee review, and pre–testing. Sixty–seven Hausa, 54 Igbo, and 165 Yoruba Knee/Hip OA patients were assessed on the original and translated versions of VAS. Scores on each translated anchor of the VAS were correlated with scores on the original VAS (anchors in …


Emotional-Social Intelligence Of Physical Therapy Students During The Initial Academic Component Of Their First Professional Year, Helene Larin, Jean Wessel, Renee Williams Apr 2009

Emotional-Social Intelligence Of Physical Therapy Students During The Initial Academic Component Of Their First Professional Year, Helene Larin, Jean Wessel, Renee Williams

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: To describe and compare the development of emotional-social intelligence (ESI) of physical therapy students from a traditional education program and a problem-based learning (PBL) program during the initial academic component of their first professional year of studies. Methods: At the beginning of their first professional year (time 1), sixty students (39 from the traditional program, 21 from the PBL program) completed the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory Short (EQ-i:S) for ESI. The EQ-i:S provides a total score and five subscale scores (Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Stress Management, Adaptability, and General Mood). Higher scores mean higher levels of ESI. The students completed the …


Evidence-Based Practice Approach Over Three Visits In The Management Of A Patient With Tibio-Femoral Osteoarthritis: A Case Study, Sjaan R. Gomersall, Maureen P. Mcevoy Apr 2009

Evidence-Based Practice Approach Over Three Visits In The Management Of A Patient With Tibio-Femoral Osteoarthritis: A Case Study, Sjaan R. Gomersall, Maureen P. Mcevoy

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Supervised training is essential for developing an evidence-based practice (EBP) approach for future health care clinicians. While the skills associated with asking a research question, accessing databases for best research evidence (BRE), and appraising this evidence can be taught in the classroom, the day-to-day application into patient management needs to be taught, and there is a lack of best practice models for this. This case study of a patient with osteoarthritis of the knee demonstrates over a series of three clinic visits how EBP can be used as a framework for guiding assessment and management from the perspective of a …


Age And Lateral Sleep Position: A Pilot Study, Susan Gordon, Petra G. Buettner Jan 2009

Age And Lateral Sleep Position: A Pilot Study, Susan Gordon, Petra G. Buettner

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Previous research, undertaken using a Super 8 camera and non-continuous data, has reported that with increasing age, people are more likely to sleep in the right lateral position. It has been postulated that this is due to age related alterations in cardiovascular function. This pilot study was undertaken to determine if collection and analysis of continuous sleep data was a feasible method for further investigation of this topic and to determine the sample size required for an adequately powered study. Increased understanding of age related changes in sleep position may provide valuable information to improve sleep quality and nursing …


The Hot Seat: Challenging Critical Thinking And Problem Solving Skills In Physical Therapist Students, Bill O'Dell, Jennifer Mai, Alecia Thiele, Andrew Priest, Kathleen Salamon Jan 2009

The Hot Seat: Challenging Critical Thinking And Problem Solving Skills In Physical Therapist Students, Bill O'Dell, Jennifer Mai, Alecia Thiele, Andrew Priest, Kathleen Salamon

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Allied health profession students must develop critical thinking and problem solving skills to be able to make clinical decisions. The purpose of this paper is to describe an educational model used in a physical therapist education program to improve students’ confidence in clinical decision-making. Methods: The faculty chose topics for each forum and invited specific clinicians to present actual clinical cases to students in small group settings. The small groups spent 30 minutes focused on each case, and then rotated to a different clinician so each had exposure to three scenarios. After presenting subjective clinical information, the clinicians asked …