Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Occupational Therapy Return To Work Program For Individuals Following A Traumatic Brain Injury, Kalynn R. Johnson, Lisa Griggs-Stapleton

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Individuals with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) often experience difficulty returning to the workforce and lack the necessary resources to facilitate a successful return to work. This capstone project focuses on developing a resource that equips occupational therapists with tools and resources to provide valuable and effective return to work services for this population.

Comparing Orthopedic Randomized Control Trials Published In High-Impact Medical And Orthopedic Journals, Andrew Lachance, Emily Dissler

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2022

PURPOSE To compare study characteristics, methodologic quality and outcome direction among operative randomized orthopedic trials published in high-impact medical and orthopedic journals and to identify study attributes associated with greater exposure and impact

Food Insecurity And Infant Feeding Methods Among Mothers With Infants In Children's Hospital, Sara Brobeck

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

Abstract

Introduction: Although breastfeeding is more sustainable and affordable compared to infant formula, mothers who are food insecure are shown to breastfeed less and turn to formula more. This paradox may result from beliefs surrounding diet and breastfeeding. For example, evidence shows that mothers may believe that the quality of their breastmilk may be negatively affected by insufficient diet and stress which is caused by food insecurity.

Objective: The objective was to find an association between food insecurity and method of infant feeding (breastfeeding or combination of breastmilk and formula).

Methods: Food insecurity surveys were administered to 31 mothers in …

Occupational Therapy's Role In Upper Extremity Posture, Ergonomics, And Injury Prevention In Esports, Braden W. Singleton

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Electronic sports, also known as esports, is organized competitive gaming. Esports athletes routinely sustain injury to the upper extremity (UE) and are forced into early retirement due to pain and limitation. Employing ergonomic principles through education has a significant impact in assisting with pain reduction and prevention of disability. This program sought to decrease the prevalence of upper extremity injury seen in the esports athlete population, and decrease the intensity of pain if it was already present. Twelve total participants were included in the program, as determined by the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data was gathered through the use of …

Black Occupational Therapists’ Experiences On The Occupational Impacts Of Racism, Kenzie Saleh, Susan Macdermott

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Research indicates that there is a correlation between racism and impact on occupations (Beagan & Etowa, 2009; Gershenson et al., 2016; Lavalley & Johnson, 2020). The purpose of this study was to expand on the existing research of occupational impacts of racism on the Black community and discover any differences or new themes that have occurred in the past decade. Additionally, this research project investigated specific examples and experiences that lead to these occupational impacts. The student researcher used surveys and in-depth qualitative interviews to gather data focused on the occupational needs and engagement of this population. The research question …

Sensory Integration For Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence (Ipv), Nadien Albanna

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Since the start of the global pandemic, stay-at-home orders forced IPV survivors to stay in the home with abusers, increasing the risk of abuse, and the impact of psychological trauma. (Bright et al., 2020). Occupational therapists are trained professionals in incorporating sensory-based strategies to focus on the somatic manifestations experienced by the body from trauma and can help to regulate physiological and psychological responses through sensory stimuli (Mcgreevy & Boland et al., 2020). The development of this project sparked an opportunity to publish a new framework to introduce the role of sensory integration in treating survivors of intimate partner violence …

The Role Of Occupation Therapy In Homeless Transition-Aged Youth Programs, Cortney Kirby Yap, Susan Macdermott

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this project was to evaluate current programming with staff at Urban Street Angels (USA) and explore the role of occupational therapy (OT) with youth experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness in San Diego, California. The project informed the development of proposals aimed to enhance programming and OT services already in place at the USA La Mesa site for the staff and the youth enrolled in services through the USA organization and the Housing Our Youth (HOY) collaborative program.

Exploring The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Promoting Risky Play For At-Risk Youth, Gerald Deocariza Jr., Karen Park

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Climbing, racing, playing by the fire, building forts with hammers, and free independent exploration are all examples of risky play. The inherent risk-taking that comes with play is essential to children’s physical and cognitive development, social and emotional well-being, confidence, self-esteem, and risk management. However, as many as two thirds of adults in United States have reported to come across at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE) growing up. The exposures to childhood trauma have been linked to a variety of negative health, psychiatric, and behavioral outcomes. Societal attitudes may further refrain at-risk youth from opportunities to gain essential skills …

Translating Neurobiological Knowledge Into Trauma-Informed Occupational Therapy, Kimberley Pierce, Jessica De Brun, Karen Park

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

There is a growing need for an expanded understanding of the experience of trauma in light of many socio-political and cultural events of the previous years. Occupational therapy literature mentions a growing understanding of neuroscience that is leading to trauma-informed protocol reform, however, consistently concludes with the acknowledgment that more information is needed. The purpose of this project was to advocate for occupation as a significant tool in addressing traumatic stress. This project included a scoping review of non-peer-reviewed and peer-reviewed literature and manuscripts as well as a phenomenological qualitative research study interviewing occupational therapy practitioners who work with individuals …

Occupational Rights Workshops: Critical Reflection, Discussion, And Collaboration With Occupational Therapists, Michelle Arakaki, Susan Macdermott

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

In the summer of 2020, occupational therapy organizations condemned systemic racism and called on the profession to improve its’ practices in promoting justice and enhancing efforts in increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2020; World Federation of Occupational Therapists). Since then, there have been formations of DEI committees, opportunities for continuing education in justice and antiracist practice, and more discussion in the literature on how therapists could support the occupational rights of their clients. Occupational rights are “the right of all people to engage in occupations that contribute positively to their well-being and the well-being of …

Exploring The Experiences And Adaptation Strategies Of People Who Develop Work-Related Musculoskeletal Symptoms After Working From Home During The Coronavirus Pandemic, Caitlin Gregory, Jim King, Lisa Griggs-Stapleton

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

At the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought many “new ways of life” to people everywhere. The transition from working in an office to working from home forced many individuals to adapt to a new normal. This capstone research study used qualitative case study methodology to provide a detailed look into the challenges and adaptive process of three employees working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. This capstone study describes the lived experiences of individuals working from home and how they adapted in response to the onset of upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms. Using the Theory of Occupational Adaptation, the …

Mucormycosis: Covid-19 And Corticosteroids, Mittal Savaliya, Nivedita Jha, Steven B Lippmann

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Relationship Between Perceived Coping Capability And Levels Of Academic Self-Efficacy In First Year Prelicensure Nursing Students, Amy Charlton

DNP Projects

Academic self-efficacy and coping capability impact student persistence. Nursing education programs can identify students' experiences to encourage students to persist and potentially impact the national nursing pipeline. More research was needed to examine the relationships between entering nursing student demographics, academic self-efficacy, and student coping capability. First-semester prelicensure nursing students (N = 240) were surveyed to determine any significant relationship between perceived academic self-efficacy and perceived coping capability using a quasiexperimental, descriptive, correlational design. Based on the Nursing Universal Retention and Success (NURS) model, the project investigated the relationships between student profile characteristics, student affective factors, academic outcomes, and professional …

Burden Of Type 2 Diabetes And Associated Cardiometabolic Traits And Their Heritability Estimates In Endogamous Ethnic Groups Of India: Findings From The Indigenius Consortium, Vettriselvi Venkatesan, Rector Arya, Juan Carlos Lopez Alvarenga, Krishna K. Sharma, Roy G. Resendez, Juliet A. Ezeilo, Marcio Almeida, Srinivas Mummidi, John Blangero, Ravindranath Duggirala

School of Medicine Publications

To assess the burden of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its genetic profile in endogamous populations of India given the paucity of data, we aimed to determine the prevalence of T2D and estimate its heritability using family-based cohorts from three distinct Endogamous Ethnic Groups (EEGs) representing Northern (Rajasthan [Agarwals: AG]) and Southern (Tamil Nadu [Chettiars: CH] and Andhra Pradesh [Reddys: RE]) states of India. For comparison, family-based data collected previously from another North Indian Punjabi Sikh (SI) EEG was used. In addition, we examined various T2D-related cardiometabolic traits and determined their heritabilities. These studies were conducted as part of the …

Hormone And Receptor Activator Of Nf-Κb (Rank) Pathway Gene Expression In Plasma And Mammographic Breast Density In Postmenopausal Women, Rachel Mintz, Mei Wang, Shuai Xu, Graham A Colditz, Chris Markovic, Adetunji T Toriola

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Hormones impact breast tissue proliferation. Studies investigating the associations of circulating hormone levels with mammographic breast density have reported conflicting results. Due to the limited number of studies, we investigated the associations of hormone gene expression as well as their downstream mediators within the plasma with mammographic breast density in postmenopausal women.

METHODS: We recruited postmenopausal women at their annual screening mammogram at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis. We used the NanoString nCounter platform to quantify gene expression of hormones (prolactin, progesterone receptor (PGR), estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT1 and STAT5), …

Cs1 Car-T Targeting The Distal Domain Of Cs1 (Slamf7) Shows Efficacy In High Tumor Burden Myeloma Model Despite Fratricide Of Cd8+Cs1 Expressing Car-T Cells, Julie O'Neal, Julie K Ritchey, Matthew L Cooper, Jessica Niswonger, L Sofía González, Emily Street, Michael P Rettig, Susan W Gladney, Leah Gehrs, Ramzi Abboud, Julie L Prior, Gabriel J Haas, Reyka G Jayasinghe, Li Ding, Armin Ghobadi, Ravi Vij, John F Dipersio

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Despite improvement in treatment options for myeloma patients, including targeted immunotherapies, multiple myeloma remains a mostly incurable malignancy. High CS1 (SLAMF7) expression on myeloma cells and limited expression on normal cells makes it a promising target for CAR-T therapy. The CS1 protein has two extracellular domains - the distal Variable (V) domain and the proximal Constant 2 (C2) domain. We generated and tested CS1-CAR-T targeting the V domain of CS1 (Luc90-CS1-CAR-T) and demonstrated anti-myeloma killing in vitro and in vivo using two mouse models. Since fratricide of CD8 + cells occurred during production, we generated fratricide resistant CS1 deficient Luc90- …

“Cystectomy…What Bugs You?” Creation Of An Institutional Antibiogram, Erin Santos

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2022

BACKGROUND: Radical cystectomy is associated with high rates of post operative morbidity and mortality to improve readmission rates following radical cystectomy, a post cystectomy discharge pathway was created. We set out to create an institution specific antibiogram to identify and target most common causative organisms to specifically decrease genitourinary infection related complications.

Music For The Relief Of Preoperative Anxiety, Tyler G. Roberts

MSN Capstone Projects

Anxiety is a phenomenon commonly experienced by patients awaiting surgery (Jlala et al., 2010). Anxiety has been linked to negative impacts “on the induction of anesthesia, wound healing, risk of infection, and postoperative recovery” (Stern, 2013). The alleviation of preoperative anxiety is a positive and desired outcome for perioperative patients. An interview with a patient at University Medical Center yielded some insight into the need for the implementation of additional anxiety alleviating intervention. In the interview, the patient reported feeling distress from being able to hear everything that was happening outside of the patient’s preoperative room and feeling a large …

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Using High-Fidelity Simulators, Rebecca Walker

MSN Capstone Projects

Simulation and high-fidelity simulators (HFS) have become an important part of nursing education and its implementation into the curricula. It has become important in enhancing their knowledge and the development of competent nurses by reinforcement of skills that have been previously learned. HFS also increases students' confidence and reinforces their skills and knowledge while introducing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The literature suggests that overall the students have greater retention of CPR skills if HFS is used instead of classical CPR training with low-fidelity simulators (LFS). However, some studies suggest that using HFS does not lead to retention of CPR skills or …

The Impact Of Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy On Alzheimer's Disease, Kelsey Hall

MSN Capstone Projects

The number of people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) rises daily. This is a devastating disease for the patients, significant others, and families to have to experience. “Epidemiological data confirm what retirees have observed: about 30-50% of those living to their mid-80’s will have suffered a marked loss of cognitive ability, a harbinger of advanced AD, or will have suffered advanced AD. Further, the tragedy of AD affecting loved partners takes an enormous toll on their healthier partners” (Reid et al., 2017).

The current treatment regimen for Alzheimer’s disease includes medication therapy. Evidence has shown that there are only small …

Exploring The Experience Of Dating As A Surviving Partner And Impact On Occupational Therapy, Jessica Blum, Susan Macdermott, Karen Mccarthy

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: Limited research has been conducted that explores the experience of dating as a member of the surviving partner community. This study aims to address this gap in literature by capturing the dating experience for those who are surviving partners.

Method: A qualitative, phenomenological research design was used to gather data from thirteen surviving partners who have actively dated in the past, are currently dating, or are currently in a casual or serious relationship.

Results: Interview data revealed that the participants' dating experiences were impacted by their identity as a surviving partner. Participants reported experiencing pressure to engage in dating …

The Intersection Of Breastfeeding Dyads And The Impact On Perinatal Mental Health, Faith Saunders, Heather Truog, Lisa Griggs-Stapleton

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

As the mother transitions from the prenatal period to the postpartum period, the new occupational role of motherhood emerges. In this perspective, infant feeding is considered a co-occupation when discussing maternal functioning. The emergence into this new chapter requires adaptation and adjustment to the mothers’ occupational roles, routines, and identity. Occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) are equipped to provide holistic, client-centered interventions to address occupational dysfunctions during this maternal role transition (Slootjes et al., 2016). However, there are significant gaps in the literature of the OT profession that discusses the role of OTPs within in interdisciplinary healthcare team for perinatal care …

Occupational Therapy's Role In Addressing Childhood Obesity In Hispanic Communities, Karina Castro-Ayala

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Childhood obesity is a growing public health epidemic of the 21st century (Sahoo et al, 2015), in which the Hispanic population is disproportionately an affected population in the U.S for obesity and other health risks (Garcia et al, 2019). Predominantly, 40% of Hispanic children in the U.S. are considered overweight or obese, higher than many other racial and ethnic populations, leading to an increased risk in chronic health conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and decrease in mental well-being. The purpose of this capstone was to develop an occupation-based, health and wellness program through the scope of …

A Call For Occupational Justice: Amending Medicare Policy, Amanda Amaro, Lisa Griggs-Stapleton, Jennifer Summers

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This advocacy project titled, A Call for Occupational Justice: Amending Medicare Policy focuses on advocating for increased access to occupational therapy (OT) services for elderly individuals within home health settings and bridging the health equity gap. The student was able to collaborate with the AOTA Federal Affairs Department throughout their capstone advocacy experience. They began the process of addressing Medicare home health policy serving as an environmental barrier for quality of life within this population through preparing to introduce legislation amending Medicare policy. This Medicare home health legislation would allow OT to be recognized as a Medicare qualifying home health …

Improving Belonging Through Occupation In Individuals Within The Substance Use Disorder Population, Michelle Perkins, Susan Macdermott

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project focused on improving belonging through occupation in individuals within the substance use disorder population. Based on site-based needs assessment findings and informed by the Recovery Model and the Doing, Being, Belonging, and Becoming framework, the Elevate 4-week pilot program was created. The Elevate program successfully demonstrated the feasibility of improving belonging through occupations, as evidenced by changes in pre and post-program client questionnaire scores. The client’s self-report scores in sense of belonging, satisfaction of belonging, and connection to housemates and staff demonstrated noticeable improvement. While the Elevate program demonstrated noticeable improvement in participants’ sense of belonging, satisfaction …

Understanding Travel For Families With A Physically Disabled Child Through The Occupational Therapy Lens, Dinah Adams, Karen Park, Susan Macdermott

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Travel is a complex occupation that involves interactions between body function, activity participation, and the environment. For families traveling with a physically disabled child this occupation becomes even more complex. The available literature on the lived experiences of these families is significantly limited. This project aims to determine participants’ experiences of commercial airline travel with a child who has a physical disability. Through the participants experiences, barriers and needs of this population can be identified. Through identification of barriers, the needs of this population are highlighted as well as ways they can be supported and advocated for.

Early Intervention Occupational Therapy Program Development Abroad, Hattie Fleming, Karen Park

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This program aimed to address the disparity in access to early intervention (EI) occupational therapy (OT) services which exists in certain communities abroad. This project worked with The Inspiration Center (TIC) in Belize, a community identified through needs assessment as having limited access to OT services, to expand current programming to include EI OT services, to increase understanding of the role of OT, to advocate for the OT profession within Belize, and to increase access to EI services for families with children with disability and/or developmental delay within the country. An emphasis was placed on caregiver coaching and culturally responsive …

Brain Injury Clubhouse Model And Perceived Impact On Occupational Performance, Leslie Yap, Monica Watford, Lisa Griggs-Stapleton

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This project explored the impact that the brain injury Clubhouse model has on occupational performance through a qualitative research design method. Individuals with traumatic brain injury experience a disruption in occupational performance due to changes in physical, cognitive, or emotional factors from the injury (CDC, 2021). Even after the acute stage of rehabilitation, individuals with TBI may still experience difficulty participating in daily occupations. The brain injury Clubhouse model serves as a bridge between traditional rehabilitation services and community reintegration by giving members a safe environment to practice the skills needed for community-based occupations such as independent living and work …

Promoting Socio-Emotional Skills Through A Strength-Based Dance Program For Children Who Have Experienced Trauma, Lillian Tami Endow

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Negative outcomes as a result of trauma are multifaceted and can impact an individual throughout the lifespan. Younger children exposed to trauma are at higher risk for experiencing negative outcomes due to underdeveloped neurobiological capacities impacting their ability to appropriately respond to stressful stimuli (Price et al., 2013). Adversities including poor socio-emotional skills, mental and physical health challenges, and behavioral problems were identified among children exposed to trauma (Hovens et al., 2015). Occupational therapists are equipped to provide services for this vulnerable population by promoting socio-emotional skills necessary to cope with traumatic stressors through engagement in meaningful occupations. The occupation …

Exploring A Role For Occupational Therapists In Adult Eating Disorder Treatment, Felicia Titus, Karen Park

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: Occupational therapists working in eating disorder (ED) treatment in the United States is an emerging practice area. The main objective of this study was to seek an understanding of the perceived gaps in current adult ED treatment in the United States, from both the perspectives of ED treatment providers and individuals with an ED to discover if there is a role for occupational therapists.

Methods: The design of this study was a convergent mixed methods in which the data was collected through online surveys and recorded semi-structured interviews of ED treatment providers (N = 15) and individuals diagnosed …