Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Epilepsy Clinic Analytics: Leveraging Emr Reporting Tools To Characterize Center Volume And Complexity, Vanuli Arya, Arindam Ghosh Mazumder, Muna Nnamani, Mark A Abboud, Samuel C Lee, Michael S Guzman, Vaishnav Krishnan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Epilepsy centers connect patients to multidisciplinary provider groups that can coordinate surgical interventions and/or investigational treatments. Automated techniques to cross-sectionally review patient volume and complexity may reveal objective metrics to assign appropriate personnel and resources. Here, we leveraged an electronic medical record (EMR) reporting tool to examine how patient and visit volumes, antiseizure medication (ASM) prescriptions and neuromodulation use evolved over an 11-year epoch at a single level 4 adult epilepsy center in Texas, USA.

Methods: Using Epic Workbench Reporting, we acquired the dates of (i) all clinic visits (office or telemedicine), (ii) CPT codes for neuromodulation interrogation/programming, and …

Refinement Of A Published Gene-Physical Activity Interaction Impacting Hdl-Cholesterol: Role Of Sex And Lipoprotein Subfractions, Kenneth E Westerman, Tuomas O Kilpeläinen, Magdalena Sevilla-Gonzalez, Margery A Connelly, Alexis C Wood, Michael Y Tsai, Kent D Taylor, Stephen S Rich, Jerome I Rotter, James D Otvos, Amy R Bentley, Samia Mora, Hugues Aschard, D C Rao, Charles Gu, Daniel I Chasman, Alisa K Manning

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Large-scale gene-environment interaction (GxE) discovery efforts often involve analytical compromises for the sake of data harmonization and statistical power. Refinement of exposures, covariates, outcomes, and population subsets may be helpful to establish often-elusive replication and evaluate potential clinical utility. Here, we used additional datasets, an expanded set of statistical models, and interrogation of lipoprotein metabolism via nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based lipoprotein subfractions to refine a previously discovered GxE modifying the relationship between physical activity (PA) and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C). We explored this GxE in the Women’s Genome Health Study (WGHS; N=23,294; the strongest cohort-specific signal in the original meta-analysis), the UK …

Prevalence Of Abuse-Specific Injuries In Infants With Prior Injury Evaluated For Abuse, Nara Cho, Kristin G Crichton, Sara Helwig, Krista K Wheeler, Rachel M Stanley, Megan M Letson, Kristine A Campbell, Angela N Bachim, Colleen J Bressler, Carmen M Coombs, Lori Frasier, Nicole Johnson, Sara Kilbride, Jan Leonard, Daniel M Lindberg, Noelle T Tran, Joanne N Wood, Farah W Brink

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background and objectives: Physical abuse is a common cause of morbidity in infants but is often missed in those with medically minor injuries, increasing the risk for escalating violence. Our objective was to compare the prevalence of abuse-specific injuries among infants with and without prior injuries.

Methods: This is a retrospective, multicenter study of infants (aged < 12 months) undergoing child abuse pediatrics provider (CAP) consultation for suspected physical abuse between 2/2021 and 12/2022 at 10 participating US centers. Encounters were dichotomized into those with and without history of prior injury. The groups were compared for rates of diagnostic screening and prevalence of abuse-specific injuries. The association of prior injuries with identification of abuse-specific injury was assessed using logistic regression controlling for demographics and presence of prior injury.

Results: We identified 2352 eligible encounters (median age: 4.2 months), of which 13% had a history of prior injury. In infants who underwent diagnostic testing, injury identification was significantly higher in those with prior injury (45% vs 22%, P < .05). Adjusting for patient characteristics, the presence of prior injury in infants was associated with higher odds of at least 1 type of abuse-specific injury being identified, compared with those without prior injury (adjusted odds ratio = 2.81, 95% CI = 2.10-3.76).

Conclusion: Infants with prior injury …

The Influence Of Ultra-Widefield Fluorescein Angiography On The Diagnosis And Management Of Diabetic Retinopathy, Nicole K Scripsema, Tala Al-Khaled, Amy Song, Joelle A Hallak, Rawan Allozi, Aziz A Khanifar, Thanos D Papakostas, Christina Y Weng, Ronald C Gentile, J Peter Campbell, Jessica G Lee, Gennady Landa, Felix Y Chau, William F Mieler, Meenakashi Gupta, Amani A Fawzi, Judy E Kim, Jennifer I Lim, Robison Vernon Paul Chan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: To study the influence of ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography (FA) on the diagnosis and management of diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Methods: Ten experts in DR completed an online survey in which they were asked to diagnose and manage DR cases using different imaging modalities. Experts independently reviewed 20 cases of DR and provided a diagnosis and management plan for each case, first based on ultra-widefield color-free and red-free images alone and again with the corresponding ultra-widefield FA images. Experts were polled on their diagnostic confidence, use of FA in clinical practice, and opinions on the value of ultra-widefield FA. Based on …

Poststroke Impulsivity: A Narrative Review, Melissa B Jones, Dakota E Broadway, Malena Gimenez-Zapiola, Ricardo E Jorge

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

In this narrative review, the authors examine the multidimensional nature and presentations of impulsivity after stroke. Impulsivity manifests as immediate or premature responses, impaired delayed gratification, perseverance despite punishment, and other displays of impaired emotional and behavioral regulation. The literature on the assessments, outcomes, and treatment of patients with these various manifestations after a cerebrovascular injury is reviewed. Findings from case reports indicate that poststroke impulsivity may manifest across neurobehavioral syndromes that are not well defined in the psychiatric nomenclature, such as alien hand syndrome and atypical impulse control disorders. Overall, impulse control disorders appear to be rare poststroke. Therapeutic …

Feasibility And Impact Of Knowledge-Based Automated Radiotherapy Treatment Planning In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Awusi Kavuma, Solomon Kibudde, Yao Hao, Baozhou Sun

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background and purpose: A high-quality treatment planning process is crucial in advanced radiotherapy techniques to ensure adequate dose to the target volume (TV) and sparing of organs at risk (OARs). This process often requires intensive labor, creating barriers for deployment in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We aimed to establish the feasibility of implementing knowledge-based auto-planning to facilitate clinical efficiency and increase patient throughput in an LMIC.

Materials and methods: We evaluated 60 randomly selected VMAT manual plans (VMPs), including 10 for each of the following sites: head and neck, oesophagus, breast, prostate, cervical, and rectal cancers. Using the same …

Cognitive Predictors Of Internalizing Symptoms In Clinically Anxious Youth, Dania Y Amarneh, Michael J Zvolensky, Eric A Storch, Andres G Viana

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Internalizing disorders are the most common psychiatric disorders in youth and are associated with a host of deleterious outcomes (e.g., self-harm, substance use, interpersonal difficulties), highlighting the critical need for identifying risk factors that confer risk for these disorders. The present study investigated the unique and shared roles of two prominent cognitive biases-anxiety sensitivity and interpretation biases-as predictors of internalizing symptom severity in clinically anxious youth, above and beyond the effects of negative emotionality and after accounting for sociodemographic covariates.

Method: A diverse sample of clinically anxious youth (N = 105; Mage = 10.09 years, SD = 1.22; …

Treatment Fidelity And Outcome In Cbt For Youth With Autism: The Meya Fidelity Scale, Bryce D Mcleod, Jeffrey J Wood, Jennifer Cecilione Herbst, Danielle Dunn, Philip C Kendall, Eric A Storch, An Chuen Cho, Kashia A Rosenau

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: Assessing treatment fidelity in effectiveness research is critical to interpreting study findings. This paper details the development and initial psychometric evaluation of the Modular Evidence-Based Practices for Youth with Autism Fidelity Scale (MEYA-FS) designed to support the assessment of cognitive-behavioral treatments for youth with autism in effectiveness research.

Method: Recorded treatment sessions (N = 338) were randomly selected from 77 youth (M age = 9.65 years, SD = 1.87; 50.67% White; 85.33% male) who received the Schema, Emotion, and Behavior-Focused Therapy for Children (SEBASTIEN) (n = 51) or Coping Cat (n = 24) program.

Results: …

Liver Disease And Transplantation In Telomere Biology Disorders: An International Multicenter Cohort, Sharon A Savage, Alison A Bertuch

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Rare germline pathogenic variants (GPVs) in genes essential in telomere length maintenance and function have been implicated in two broad classes of human disease. The telomere biology disorders (TBDs) are a spectrum of life-threatening conditions, including bone marrow failure, liver and lung disease, cancer and other complications caused by GPVs in telomere maintenance genes that result in short and/or dysfunctional telomeres and reduced cellular replicative capacity. In contrast, cancer predisposition with long telomeres (CPLT) is a disorder associated with elevated risk of a variety of cancers, primarily melanoma, thyroid cancer, sarcoma, glioma and lymphoproliferative neoplasms caused by GPVs in shelterin …

Targeting The Exonic Circular Ogt Rna/O-Glcnac Transferase/Forkhead Box C1 Axis Inhibits Asparagine- And Alanine-Mediated Ferroptosis Repression In Neuroblastoma Progression, Qilan Li, Yang Cheng, Chunhui Yang, Minxiu Tian, Xiaojing Wang, Dan Li, Xinyue Li, Jiaying Qu, Shunchen Zhou, Liduan Zheng, Qiangsong Tong

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The disruption of ferroptosis, an emerging form of programmed cell death, is crucial in the development and aggressiveness of tumors. Meanwhile, the mechanisms and treatments that control ferroptosis in neuroblastoma (NB), a prevalent extracranial cancer in children, are still unknown. In this study, forkhead box C1 (FOXC1) and O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) are identified as regulators of asparagine- and alanine-mediated ferroptosis repression in NB. Mechanistically, OGT facilitates FOXC1 stabilization via inducing O-GlcNAcylation in liquid condensates to increase the expression of asparagine synthetase (ASNS) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase 2 (GPT2), resulting in asparagine and alanine biogenesis, and subsequent …

Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Levels Reflect Muscle And Bone Health And Determine Complications And Mortality In Decompensated Cirrhosis, Parminder Kaur, Nipun Verma, Aishani Wadhawan, Pratibha Garg, Samonee Ralmilay, Naveen Kalra, Abhiman Baloji, Pinaki Dutta, Gaurav Sharma, Sahaj Rathi, Arka De, Madhumita Premkumar, Sunil Taneja, Ajay Duseja, Virendra Singh

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: The growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor (GH-IGF-1) axis and its impairment with sarcopenia, frailty, bone health, complications, and prognosis are not well characterized in cirrhosis.

Methods: We investigated the adult decompensated cirrhosis out-patients at a tertiary care institute between 2021 and 2023 for serum GH and IGF-1 levels, and associated them with sarcopenia (CT-SMI in cm2/m2), liver frailty index (LFI), osteodystrophy (DEXA), clinical decompensations (overall, ascites, encephalopathy, infection, and bleed), and survival up to 180 days.

Results: One-hundred-seventy-two patients, 95% males, aged 46.5 years (median). logIGF-1 levels were negatively associated with sarcopenia, osteodystrophy, LFI, CTP, and MELD-Na score (P …

A Computational Approach For Intramural Length Estimation In Anomalous Aortic Origin Of A Coronary Artery, Vikram Shah, Lauren Ferrino, Dana Reaves-O'Neal, Tam T Doan, Shagun Sachdeva, Craig G Rusin, Dan Lior, Charles Puelz, Prakash M Masand, Silvana Molossi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA) is associated with sudden cardiac death. The intramural (IM) length is considered high-risk, yet radiologic measurements by computed tomography angiography (CTA) show variable agreement with measurements at surgery. We aimed to develop a semi-automatic computational method to estimate IM length in a retrospective cohort of surgical AAOCA patients.

Methods: In 58 patients [49 right(R), 9 left(L)], CTA images were used to generate 3D segmentations of the aorta and a centerline of the anomalous coronary. The distance from the centerline to the aortic segmentation was calculated. The IM length was estimated from …

A New Interpolated Pseudodifferential Preconditioner For The Helmholtz Equation In Heterogeneous Media, Sebastian Acosta, Tahsin Khajah, Benjamin Palacios

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

This paper introduces a new pseudodifferential preconditioner for the Helmholtz equation in variable media with absorption. The pseudodifferential operator is associated with the multiplicative inverse to the symbol of the Helmholtz operator. This approach is well suited for the intermediate and high-frequency regimes. The main novel idea for the fast evaluation of the preconditioner is to interpolate its symbol, not as a function of the (high-dimensional) phase-space variables, but as a function of the wave speed itself. Since the wave speed is a real-valued function, this approach allows us to interpolate in a univariate setting even when the original problem …

Evidence-Based Evaluation To Promote High-Value Care In Pediatric Critical Care: It Is Time To Fully Adopt, Maya Dewan, Rajit K Basu, Erin Bennett, Lily B Glater-Welt, Mark Hall, Benson S Hsu, Lia Lowrie, Venessa Lynn Pinto, Alexandre T Rotta, Edward Seferian, Linda Siegel, Heather A Wolfe, Vijay Srinivasan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Evidence-based recommendations for high-value care in pediatric critical care are needed. We sought to develop recommendations to identify unnecessary interventions, enhance outcomes, and promote efficient, patient-centered practices.

Methods: Using a modified Delphi process, a multi-institutional panel of pediatric intensivists from a national pediatric critical care quality improvement group identified 30 potential topics and selected 20 high- and medium-priority topics for further evaluation, and narrowed them to 10 by consensus voting. A structured scoping review of literature published between 2014 and 2023 identified 10 practices, which were critically assessed using the PICOST framework. The panel selected 5 priority recommendations based …

Atherogenic Lipoproteins Associate With Loss Of Glycemic Control In Youth-Onset Type 2 Diabetes: Results From The Today Study, Lorraine E Levitt Katz, Samuel S Gidding, James D Otvos, Kimberly L Drews, Fida Bacha, Steven Willi, Santica Marcovina, Siripoom Mckay, Ruth S Weinstock, Today Study Group

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) in adolescents is associated with an unfavorable lipid profile, but lipoprotein particle subspecies and branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) data are scarce.

Objective: To evaluate lipoprotein particle distributions, lipoprotein insulin resistance index (LP-IR), and BCAA levels longitudinally and their relationships with sex, race/ethnicity, treatment, and loss of glycemic control in adolescents with youth-onset T2D.

Methods: Participants from the TODAY study (n = 348) had samples analyzed yearly for glycated hemoglobin and nuclear magnetic resonance lipoprotein and BCAA assessments.

Results: At baseline, participants with T2D were 13.7 years old with T2D, obesity, and from racial and ethnic …

Difficulties In Diagnosing Lactose Malabsorption, Richard Kellermayer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Correction: Inclusion Of Patient-Centered, Non-Microbiological Endpoints And Biomarkers In Tuberculosis Drug Trials, Andrew R Dinardo, Wilbert Sabiiti, Stephen H Gillespie, Sophia B Georghiou, Norbert Heinrich, Norbert Hittel, Sami Taghlabi, Danna Carrero Longlax, Mikashmi Kohli, Ursula Panzner, Collins Musia, Christoph Lange, Anca Vasiliu, Rob J W Arts, Anna M Mandalakas, Morten Ruhwald, Lieven J Stuyver, Reinout Van Crevel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

This corrects the article "Inclusion of patient-centered, non-microbiological endpoints and biomarkers in tuberculosis drug trials", 1570989.

Bearing Witness: Témoignage As A Tool For Child Advocacy During Armed Conflict, Anik Patel, Amber Alayyan, Heather A Haq, Parminder S Suchdev, Naji Hattar, Jeffrey Goldhagen, David J Schonfeld, Tanya Haj-Hassan, Lia Harris, Seema Jilani, Ayesha Kadir, Paul H Wise, Lisa Umphrey

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Children affected by armed conflict suffer devastating physical, emotional, and social harm. War uproots families, forcing many to flee as refugees or internally displaced persons, while others remain trapped in dangerous environments. In these crises, children face disproportionate risks-violence, exploitation, disrupted education, and collapsed healthcare systems. Their unique vulnerabilities require urgent, targeted action to protect their health, rights, and development. Beyond immediate care, the humanitarian principle of témoignage-bearing witness-is essential. Rooted in humanitarian ethics, témoignage means speaking out about injustice, amplifying the voices of those affected, and driving systemic change. It challenges traditional notions of neutrality and calls on humanitarian …

Towards A Common Approach For Managing Food Allergy And Serious Allergic Reactions (Anaphylaxis) At School. Ga2len And Efa Consensus Statement, Antoine Deschildre, Montserrat Alvaro-Lozano, Antonella Muraro, Marcia Podesta, Debra De Silva, Mattia Giovannini, Simona Barni, Timothy E Dribin, Mónica Sandoval-Ruballos, Aikaterini Anagnostou, Alessandro Fiocchi, Alice Toniolo, Andrew Bird, Angel Sánchez Sanz, Anna Asarnoj, Anna Nowak-Wegrzyn, Berber Vlieg-Boerstra, Brian P Vickery, Carina Venter, Caroline Nilsson, Cecilia Parente, Céline Demoulin, David M Fleischer, Diola Bijlhout, Edward F Knol, Eleanor Garrow, Emma E Cook, Fallon Schultz, Francesca Lazzarotto, Francesca Mori, Gary Wong, Gideon Lack, Graham Roberts, Gustavo Andres Marino, H N G Oude Elberink, Helen A Brough, Hugh A Sampson, Jay Lieberman, Jennifer Gerdts, Jing Zhao, Josefine Gradman, Julia E M Upton, Julie Wang, Kati Palosuo, Kirsi M Järvinen, Kirsten Beyer, Kunling Shen, Laura Polloni, Lianne Mandelbaum, Luciana Kase Tanno, Lucy A Bilaver, Marcus S Shaker, Margitta Worm, Maria Said, Mary Kelly, Mary Jane Marchisotto, Michael Makris, Mikaela Odemyr, Montserrat Fernandez-Rivas, Motohiro Ebisawa, Nandinee Patel, Pablo Rodríguez Del Río, Pakit Vichyanond, Paul Turner, Pete Smith, Pilar Morón Gaspar, R Sharon Chinthrajah, Rima Rachid, Roberta Bonaguro, Ruchi Gupta, Sabine Schnadt, Sakura Sato, Stefania Arasi, Stephanie Leonard, Sung Poblete, Susanne Halken, Thuy-My Le, Guillaume Pouessel, Tracey Dunn, Victoria Cardona, Torsten Zuberbier

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

GA2LEN and EFA propose minimum specifications for all industrialised countries/regions to work towards to support students with food allergies in educational settings. We reviewed research and legislation and gained feedback from over 100 patient and professional groups. We built shared expectations around: 1. training all school staff about what food allergy is, the symptoms of allergic reactions, what to do in an emergency, and when and how to use and store devices that laypeople can use to administer adrenaline (epinephrine). 2. preventing allergic reactions by using clear labelling on school menus and prepacked and non‐prepacked foods and regular cleaning where …

More Than Meets The Eye: A Phenomenological Study Of Self-Concept, Identity, And Meaning-Making In Adults With Acquired Vision Loss, Melinda M. Szilva

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The qualitative research project examines the lived experience of acquired vision loss in adulthood and its impact on the way participants see themselves and the world around them, both sensorially and metaphorically. The research question, “What are the lived experiences of adults with acquired vision loss as they relate to identity and conceptions of self?” is informed by the researcher’s clinical practice as a psychotherapist in a low vision clinic. The dissertation includes a literature review focussed on the psychosocial aspects of vision loss to provide insight into the intended population and context for the study. Data for the phenomenological …

Immune Pathway Modulation In Melanoma Using Chitosan Nanoparticle-Mediated Dsrna Delivery, Bethel C. Iwuji

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division, which typically results in the formation of tumours. Even with advances in treatments, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death globally. Melanoma is an aggressive form of skin cancer which is highly malignant, develops in the pigment-producing cells of the skin, melanocytes, and in the late stages of the disease poses a significant challenge for therapeutic intervention due to its multidrug resistance. The innate immune system is the first line of defence against invading pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and fungi, and can recognize and destroy …

Exploring The Reassessment Of Palliative Home Care Clients: A Mixed Methods Study, Maya Canham

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Introduction: The timely reassessment of clients receiving palliative home care (HC) is critical for supporting clinicians with care planning and service delivery. However, there is little information on the frequency of reassessments and factors driving reassessment in palliative HC clients.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to: (i) determine the proportion of palliative HC clients reassessed with the interRAI Palliative Care (interRAI PC) instrument, (ii) calculate the average interRAI PC reassessment interval, (iii) identify the key factors driving interRAI PC reassessment at various intervals, and (iv) explore the factors that influence palliative HC clinicians to reassess their clients in …

Sift Feature-Based Relative Altitude Estimation Enhanced With Siamese Network, Shirin Nasr-Esfahani, S. Jagannathan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In GPS-denied environments or when GPS signals are unreliable or unavailable, alternative methods of accurate localization with coordinate generation become critical. To address localization, the scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) algorithm, along with its numerous adaptations, is extensively utilized in computer vision and remote sensing for matching image features to identify objects and perform localization. This article presents a novel approach for estimating the relative altitude of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) using SIFT features' scale (size), omitting the need for additional data like camera intrinsic parameters, as well as extensive image datasets are also required for training. Furthermore, the approach enhances …

Explainable And Safety Aware Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based Control Of Nonlinear Discrete-Time Systems Using Neural Network Gradient Decomposition, Behzad Farzanegan, S. Jagannathan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents an explainable deep-reinforcement learning (DRL)-based safety-aware optimal adaptive tracking (SOAT) scheme for a class of nonlinear discrete-time (DT) affine systems subject to state inequality constraints. The DRL-based SOAT utilizes a multilayer neural network (MNN)-based actor-critic to estimate the cost function and optimal policy while the MNN update laws are tuned both using the singular value decomposition (SVD) of activation function gradient in order to mitigate the vanishing gradient issue and safety-aware Bellman error at each layer. An approximate safety-aware optimal policy is developed using Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) conditions by incorporating the higher-order control barrier function (HOCBF) into the …

Online Learning-Driven Human Intent Estimation And Control For Human-Robot Interaction, Irfan Ganie, S. Jagannathan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents a novel Stackelberg-game theoretic multilayer-online learning framework for cooperative control of nonlinear Physical Human-Robot Interaction (pHRI), where the human is modeled as the leader guiding a robot follower. This hierarchical interaction is captured as a dynamic Stackelberg game, with the human's intention estimated in real-time through online multilayer neural networks (MNNs). We introduce SVD-based weight update laws for actor-critic MNNs, which approximate value functions and control inputs for both human and robot, eliminating the need for predefined basis functions. In this framework, the human objective is first inferred and used to guide the robot actions by shaping …

Evaluating Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Education And Practice: A Qualitative Swot Study In The Philippines, Paolo Miguel P. Bulan, Janice A. Rojas, John Ray O. Suerte, Nikki Y. Pestaño, Maria Menierva G. Lagria, Cristito P. Dimitiman Jr., April Grace A. Chiongbian, Frances Vince E. Dimitiman, Martina Nicole A. Ligutom, Debbie Rose D. Cabañero, Jay Arr M. Sale

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Occupational therapy education plays a pivotal role in equipping professionals to meet the dynamic demands of healthcare systems. This study evaluated the Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy (BSOT) program at Velez College in the Philippines, utilizing a qualitative analysis framework to explore its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) as perceived by educators, students, alumni, and practitioners. Findings highlight the program’s robust generalist curriculum, strong community-based partnerships, and interprofessional collaboration opportunities. However, challenges such as limited access to standardized assessment tools, high educator turnover, and insufficient specialization opportunities were identified. Notably, emerging demands in mental health and holistic care …

Student Psychosocial Well-Being And Burnout During Level Ii Fieldwork: An Explanatory Mixed Methods Analysis, Grace V. Perry, Katherine F. Varughese, Yongyue Qi, Cary Moore, Vanessa D. Jewell

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence fieldwork educator support has on stress, burnout, and self-efficacy, and examine how both students and fieldwork educators support student psychosocial well-being and protective factors during Level II fieldwork (FWII). An explanatory sequential mixed method design was used, including a student cross-sectional survey (n=129) followed by one student (n=5) and two fieldwork educator focus groups (n=12). Outcome measures utilized for the cross-sectional survey included the Perceived Stress Scale, self-developed Perceived Fieldwork Educator Support Questionnaire, Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, and New General Self-Efficacy Scale. Results showed that statistically significant correlations existed among perceived …

Impact Of A Virtual Support Program On Student Success In Neuroscience And Neuroanatomy Courses: Opportunities And Challenges, Abbigail Kubiak, Sue A. Sisto, Janice Tona

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

We investigated the outcomes of a novel neuroscience and neuroanatomy support program (NSP) developed and implemented in the pre-professional phase of an accredited Bachelor of Science/ Master of Science occupational therapy (OT) program. This research demonstrates the potential of targeted small group tutoring as an effective means to promote student success and retention. Modeled after Response to Intervention programs, we used a three-tiered approach to support student success. All students received standard lecture content (Tier 1). Students who desired extra help attended an optional recitation (Tier 2) and students who received a score of 70% or lower on one or …

An Environmental Scan Of Preparation For Occupational Therapy Intraprofessional Collaboration In Ontario, Teresa R. Avvampato, Mark Hall, Dianna Fong-Lee, Marcia Finlayson

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Intraprofessional collaboration between occupational therapists (OTs) and occupational therapist assistants (OTAs) is important for safe, effective, and efficient occupational therapy services. However, challenges such as role misunderstandings in Canada exist, which impact OT-OTA intraprofessional collaboration and the quality of care provided. This study aimed to reveal the OT-OTA intraprofessional collaboration preparation taking place in Ontario, Canada, during entry-to-practice education. An explanatory sequential environmental scan was conducted, which involved a survey distributed to OT and OTA educators, followed by six focus groups: two with OT educators, two with OTA educators, and two with OT and OTA recent graduates. Key findings revealed …

Design Thinking As A Theoretical Framework To Spark Innovation In Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctoral Projects, Jessica D. Asiello, Sunny R. Winstead

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Contemporary occupational therapy (OT) practice is situated within healthcare, education, and community-based systems faced with increasingly complex problems. There is therefore a need to develop OT practitioners’ capacity for innovation to influence change. Post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (PPOTD) students are seasoned clinicians with an understanding of the challenges of everyday practice, combined with an intrinsic motivation for professional growth that led to their return to higher education. Thus, PPOTD students are a sub-population of OT practitioners who are uniquely primed for development as innovators. Despite the prevalence of PPOTD programs in the United States, there is limited literature on …