Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Characteristics Of Therapeutic Alliance In Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy And Occupational Therapy Practice: A Scoping Review Of The Literature, Folarin Babatunde, Joy Macdermid, Norma Macintyre

Bone and Joint Institute

© 2017 The Author(s). Background: Most conventional treatment for musculoskeletal conditions continue to show moderate effects, prompting calls for ways to increase effectiveness, including drawing from strategies used across other health conditions. Therapeutic alliance refers to the relational processes at play in treatment which can act in combination or independently of specific interventions. Current evidence guiding the use of therapeutic alliance in health care arises largely from psychotherapy and medicine literature. The objective of this review was to map out the available literature on therapeutic alliance conceptual frameworks, themes, measures and determinants in musculoskeletal rehabilitation across physiotherapy and occupational therapy …

Interdisciplinary Skill Development During Summer Autism Clinic, Rachel F. Kagle

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The present paper focuses on the interdisciplinary skill development of speech-language pathology graduate student clinicians and occupational therapy graduate student clinicians in the treatment of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This paper explains the significance of these disciplines in the treatment of Autism before giving the results of the study. For the present study, data was collected at James Madison University’s Summer Autism Camp over a four-week period. There were ten speech-language pathology (SLP) clinicians that received the survey and eleven children with Autism that were enrolled in the program. It was hypothesized that the SLP clinicians would display skill …

Occupational Therapy In The Intensive Care Unit, Kelsie Colombini, Kristen M. Henderson, Michelle Huie, Courtney Malachowski

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

In recent years, the number of inpatient cardiovascular surgeries has significantly increased in hospitals around America. Occupational therapists in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Mills-Peninsula Medical Center (Burlingame, California) lack a standard protocol for addressing physical, cognitive, and psychosocial factors in patients post cardiac surgery. Furthermore, individuals’ experience and clinical reasoning frequently guides interventions rather than current evidence. The American Occupational Therapy Association’s Centennial Vision encourages occupational therapists to pursue science-driven practices and provide evidence-based interventions. In response to this Vision, an evidence-based clinical pathway was developed for the occupational therapists at Mills-Peninsula Medical Center. The clinical pathway facilitates …

Fall Risk Reduction Using Lifestyle-Integrated Functional Exercise (Life), Kayla L. Comer, Tiffany Huang, Kelly Schmidt, Matthew W. Tong

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

As the population and longevity of older adults’ increases, the prevalence of falls is becoming an ever-growing issue. Falls in older adults may lead to sedentary behavior, decreased independence, and lower quality of life. Evidence has shown that traditional exercise programs emphasizing strength and balance can decrease the fall risk in older adults, but may be difficult to sustain over time. Emerging evidence suggests that exercises that are integrated into daily life, as seen in the Lifestyle-integrated Functional Exercise (LiFE) program, may have a more lasting effect in reducing fall risk in older adults. This study explored the effectiveness of …

The Duc Healthy Aging Website: Providing Online Occupation-Based Information, Haley Caruthers, Samantha Talavera, Jackeline Ulloa, Stephanie Vera

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Access to current, evidence-based health information is an important step to the promotion of health and wellness for all age groups, including OAs. Since the virtual world is easily accessible and is being used more frequently by OAs, an effective way to convey relevant up-to-date health information is through a website devoted to the dissemination of health promotion information tailored for OAs, including tips for integrating healthy habits into their lifestyle. Dominican University of California’s (DUC) Healthy Aging website, developed in May 2014, contains relevant and evidence-based research, including activities and local community based programs that promote healthy aging on …

Assessing The Efficacy Of A Local Resource Reference Manual On Home Modifications For Occupational Therapists In Roanoke, Virginia, Stephanie Peck

MOT Student Capstones

A qualitative research study was conducted to justify and promote occupational therapy's involvement within the home evaluation and home modification process. A resource reference manual was constructed following a systematic literal review where three key areas were identified as areas of interest; the impact of home modifications on participation and 3 performance within the home setting, occupational therapy's implementation of home modifications, and fall prevention with home modifications. With the results of the literature review supporting the involvement of occupational therapists within the home evaluation and home modification process, three objectives where identified to guide the study. These three objectives …

A Project To Enhance Quality Of Life Through Stroke Support Group Activities, Sheryl Ann Watson Williams

MOT Student Capstones

Background: In 2015, participants within a stroke support group reported that, they felt ill prepared to care for themselves following a stroke (Boger, Demain and Latter, 2015). Similar feelings as well as decreased socialization, loss of independence, and changes in mood were reported in another stroke support group setting in 2014 (Muller, Toth-Cohen and Mulcahey, 2014). In an effort to enhance an existing stroke support group, purposeful activities were provided in an educational format to allow for new learning and engagement for all stroke survivors. These interventions are also provided as a means to enhance quality of life and improve …

Competency Development In Community-Based Occupational Therapy, Sunny R. Winstead

All Theses And Dissertations

The aims of this study were: a) to discover which strategies community-based occupational therapists (OTs) find most effective for developing the competencies that have been identified as unique to community-based occupational therapy (OT) practice, b) to examine respondents’ perceptions of the effectiveness of their academic training and of current professional development resources, and c) to explore respondents’ suggestions for improving academic training and continuing education for OTs in community-based practice. Data collection was completed using an electronic survey that targeted members of the American Occupational Therapy Association who have experience in community-based OT. The survey was completed by 81 OTs …

Awareness And Use Of Electronic Health Records In Entry-Level Occupational Therapy And Occupational Therapy Assistant Curricula, Louis F. Dmytryk, Tina M. Deangelis

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) requires programs to instruct entry-level occupational therapy (OT) and occupational therapy assistant (OTA) students in technology that may include electronic documentation systems, distance communication, virtual environments, and telehealth (standard B1.8). At this time, there are no publications describing if and how electronic health record (EHR) instruction is implemented in entry-level OT and OTA programs. The purpose of this study is to investigate awareness and use of EHRs in entry-level OT and OTA curricula. Respondents from 76 nationally accredited entry-level programs (two OT doctoral, 24 OT masters, two OT combined bachelors/masters, and 48 …

An Occupation-Based Learning Support Program For At-Risk Occupational Therapy Students, Arlene Lorch Otd, Otr/L, Ches

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

Objectives:

• Describe an occupation-based, learning support program offered to occupational therapy students struggling academically.

• Identify key learning issues identified by occupational therapy students and staff seeking academic support services.

• Develop an initial outline of steps to identify need and create an occupation-based, learning support program.

Patient-Rated Wrist/Hand Evaluation: A Cross-Cultural Adaptation And Evaluation In Thai Version, Hathaya Jongprasitkul, Titrison Sonthimaneerat, Sarawut Somana, Wasuwat Kitisomprayoonkul

Chulalongkorn Medical Journal

Background : The Patient Rated Wrist/Hand Evaluation (PRW/HE) is a specific questionnaire designed to measure wrist/hand pain and disabilities. The questionnaire was validated to provide various scales by asking questions regarding wrist-hand injury of a patient. It has also been translated into several languages. Therefore, we translated and adapted the questionnaire into Thai version for hand therapy clinic.Objectives : To translate and to cross-culturally adapt the PRW/HE into Thai (PRW/HEThai) and to evaluate it’s the reliability and validity.Methods : The original version PRW/HE was translated with cross cultural adaptation into Thai (PRW/HE-Thai). A total of 148 outpatients from Occupational therapy …

Safety And Improvement Of Movement Function After Stroke With Atomoxetine: A Pilot Randomized Trial, Andrea Ward, Cheryl Carrico, Elizabeth Powell, Philip M. Westgate, Laurie Nichols, Anne Fleischer, Lumy Sawaki

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Faculty Publications

Background: Intensive, task-oriented motor training has been associated with neuroplastic reorganization and improved upper extremity movement function after stroke. However, to optimize such training for people with moderate-to-severe movement impairment, pharmacological modulation of neuroplasticity may be needed as an adjuvant intervention.

Objective: Evaluate safety, as well as improvement in movement function, associated with motor training paired with a drug to upregulate neuroplasticity after stroke.

Methods: In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, 12 subjects with chronic stroke received either atomoxetine or placebo paired with motor training. Safety was assessed using vital signs. Upper extremity movement function was assessed using Fugl-Meyer Assessment, …

Using High Fidelity Simulation To Impact Occupational Therapy Student Knowledge, Comfort, And Confidence In Acute Care, Debra M. Gibbs, Mary Dietrich, Emmy Dagnan

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: As the demand for occupational and physical therapists in acute care settings is increasing, students are reporting a need for increased educational preparation to handle the complexities they may face in this setting. This pretest/posttest study examines the impact of an inter-professional high fidelity simulation experience on perceived levels of knowledge, comfort, and confidence among occupational therapy doctorate students when handling an acutely ill patient in an ICU setting.

Methods: Two cohorts of occupational therapy students participated in an inter-professional acute care scenario with high fidelity simulation mannequins (Cohort 1, n = 19; Cohort 2, n = …

Perceptions Of Occupational Therapy Involvement In School Mental Health: A Pilot Study, Susan M. Cahill, Brad E. Egan

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Mental health providers outside of occupational therapy, including those who work in school systems practice, often do not fully understand the contribution that occupational therapy practitioners can make to the delivery of mental health services.

Method: The purpose of this mixed methods pilot study is to describe how instructional support staff from one special education cooperative learned about occupational therapy’s role in school mental health and to explain how this education changed the instructional support staff members’ perceptions regarding the involvement of occupational therapy practitioners in school-based mental health services.

Results: Instructional support staff's perceptions about …

Mealtime Insights: A Photovoice Project With African American Mothers And Their Young Children, Paula Ann Rabaey

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Mothering is a complex and multifaceted occupation that encompasses the nurturing work that women engage in. It addition, it has been established that ethnicity, class, and gender have effects on motherhood that need to be taken into account when looking at the occupations of motherhood across cultures. One important task that occurs within a mothers’ daily routine is that of making meals for their children. This dissertation sought to gain a rich, in-depth description of the phenomenon of the mealtime experience for African American mothers of low socioeconomic status and young children living in an inner-city environment in the Midwest. …

Leadership Within Occupational Therapy : A Mixed Methods Study, Scott Truskowski

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

PURPOSE: This sequential embedded mixed methods study first identified the ways in which occupational therapy leaders experience leadership, then explored the ways in which those same leaders utilized their professional training as occupational therapists within their practice of leadership. METHODS: The twelve participants held formal leadership positions in either academia, clinical practice, or professional associations. The ecology of human performance model of practice was utilized to frame the research study. Data was collected through an initial interview with all 12 participants and through leadership artifacts and a second interview with six participants. RESULTS: Three themes resulted from thematic analysis of …

Efficacy Of A Stress Management Module In Managing Stress And Clean Time In Dual Diagnosis (Mental Illness And Substance Misuse) Clients, Pat J. Precin

The School of Health Sciences Publications and Research

A 1‐year pilot quasi‐experimental efficacy study of the Stress Management for Recovery Module (SM) was performed with 37 dual diagnosis (DD) clients from a DD outpatient clinic in the United States. It was hypothesized that clients who received the SM would show more improvement in their ability to manage stress and clean time than controls and when compared to themselves before and after the SM intervention. Outcome data showed that clients who received the SM learned new material and used it to make changes in their lives. Results from paired sample t tests demonstrated that clients who received the SM …

Evolution Of Occupational Therapy Practice: Life History Of Nancy Rentfrow, Emma Lee, Maddi Buscho

Oral History Posters

This life history is one of 29 life history interviews which are part of a larger project, Life Histories of Individuals Who Have Been Influential in Developing Occupational Therapy (OT) in North Dakota and Wyoming. The purpose of this project is to gather information about the history and evolution of occupational therapy (OT) practice in North Dakota and Wyoming through life histories of individuals who have been influential in developing OT in these two states. It is anticipated that the life history process will be a powerful way to gather this information. The study took place at the University of …

Examining The Impact On Praxis For Children With Sensorimotor Deficits, Sara Elizabeth Durham

Online Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to discover how a movement program, utilizing principles of dance and sensory integration, effects motor and sensory outcomes for children with sensorimotor impairments. Participants' motor performance was assessed using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency prior to and following participation in the movement program. Additionally, sensory function was assessed using the Child Sensory Profile prior to participation, and sensory modulation was tracked throughout the program. This short-term, intensive program followed a protocol based on sensory integration principles and theories of motor learning. The analysis demonstrated the change in motor performance to be statistically significant, …

Implementation Of Modified Constraint-Induced Therapy In Upper Limb Stroke Rehabilitation In An Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital, Umana W. Udoeyop

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Despite increasing and strong evidence of modified constraint-induced therapy (mCIT) as an effective intervention approach for patients with chronic and subacute stroke in outpatient settings, it is still not widely used for the rehabilitation of patients with acute stroke who are typically admitted to inpatient rehabilitation hospitals.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to implement an evidence-based approach using mCIT in the upper extremity rehabilitation of patients with acute stroke in an inpatient rehabilitation hospital and to demonstrate its feasibility and efficacy in increasing the motor recovery, and the amount and quality of arm use when compared to …

Sensory-Based Group Treatment In Reducing Physically Acting-Out Behaviors And Perceived Levels Of Distress, Tiffany Barnette

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Mental health legislation over the last several decades has focused on restricting the use of seclusion and restraints within facilities receiving federal financial assistance. Facilities serving psychiatric populations have looked for strategies to eliminate the need for these forced interventions. One strategy is the use sensory-based treatment in occupational therapy intervention. Sensory approaches that have been adopted as ‘best practice’ include the use of sensory rooms, groups and kits to help users learn how to regulate psychological and emotional states of arousal.

Purpose: The purpose of this Capstone Project was to examine the effectiveness of a sensory-based …

Resource Seeking As Occupation: A Critical And Empirical Exploration., Rebecca M Aldrich, Debbie Rudman, Virginia A Dickie

Occupational Therapy Publications

Occupational therapists and occupational scientists are committed to generating and using knowledge about occupation, but Western middle-class social norms regarding particular ways of doing have limited explorations of survival occupations. This article provides empirical evidence of the ways in which resource seeking constitutes an occupational response to situations of uncertain survival. Resource seeking includes a range of activities outside formal employment that aim to meet basic needs. On the basis of findings from 2 ethnographic studies, we critique the presumption of survival in guiding occupational therapy documents and the accompanying failure to recognize occupations that seem at odds with self-sufficiency. …

Development Of Occupational Therapy-Based Pain Management Group Program To Prevent Substance Abuse, Michelle Stotesberry

MOT Student Capstones

Substance abuse, particularly opioid abuse, has become a severe problem in America. Users typically become exposed to opioids initially for pain management, which can lead to addiction if not tapered off over time. By addressing pain management using nonopioid measures, the likelihood that individuals will get addicted and abuse this substance decreases. Occupational therapy has demonstrated effectiveness in addressing pain management for clients, and occupational therapy interventions have also been effective in substance abuse treatment. This project reviewed evidence-based practice to evaluate different approaches to pain management to help individuals become independent in self-managing their pain, thereby decreasing the chances …

Project H.0.P.E Helping Out People Everywhere Through Occupational Therapy, Shayla' Prioleau

MOT Student Capstones

In the community of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, there is a special needs orphanage in desperate need of assistance for children who have physical and/or intellectual difficulties; they lack the appropriate resources. These children and adolescents also lack various life skills due to either neurological or developmental disease. The diseases most commonly seen in the orphanage are severe cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy. Areas affected by these neurological or developmental diseases allow for limitations in a plethora of occupations and performance skills areas. In addition to the children housed in this orphanage, there is also a staff of 33. This …

Occupation-Based Training To Reduce Challenging Behaviors Of Alzheimer's Patients During Morning Routine, Sam Traffas

MOT Student Capstones

The purpose of the Capstone project was to provide an occupation-based training program for care team members who provide care for residents with Alzheimer's disease (AD), specifically during the morning routine in the long-term care setting. This is an occupation-based training program because it provides caregivers with skills and knowledge to improve interactions during activities of daily living (AD Ls) and reduce challenging behaviors often associated with AD: depression, agitation, increased confusion, and resistance to care. Individuals with mid to late-stage AD frequently exhibit an increase in challenging behaviors during the morning care routine. This increased challenge is often met …

Perspectives And Issues Related To The Cota Role In New Mexico, Steven T. Sorensen

MOT Student Capstones

Objectives: This study investigated perceptions and issues related to the COTA role within the state of New Mexico from both the OTA and OTR perspective to identify whether differences in perception exist. Another objective of this study was to determine whether differences exist in perceptions of COTAs between facilities that utilize assistance and those that do not. The author of this study also sought to identify whether local educational institutions were meeting the needs of students with only one OTR program and a recent closure of a local bridge program. Methods: Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants (N=54) working in …

Late Adulthood And Meaningful Occupation: The Relationship Between Quality Of Life, Meaningful Activity, And Health, Dwight P. Mangum

MOT Student Capstones

Engagement in meaningful activity is critical to quality of life throughout the lifespan. Participation in such activity can become more challenging at retirement age due to a variety of health concerns and other issues. When an individual's ability to engage in meaningful activity (life roles, leisure activities, activities of daily living, etc.) is diminished due to age related health concerns, injury, or other factors, the resulting barriers to participation in meaningful activity can cause greater damage to quality of life. An understanding of the role that meaningful activity plays in sustaining quality of life is crucial for motivating recovery of …

Affordable Aging In Place, Megan P. Cuthrell

MOT Student Capstones

Aging in place refers to remaining in one's home and community throughout the aging process (Siebert, 2007). Occupational therapy can play a role in aging in place through home modifications. The purpose of the project is to research how affordable home modifications can support lower socioeconomic status, older adults age in place. The three objectives of this project include: (1) the educational presentation and booklet were effective in increasing the participant's knowledge of low-cost options and funding sources for implementing home modifications; (2) the educational presentation/booklet provide effective resources for the individuals to implement home modifications in facilitating successful aging …

Promoting Shade On A Public Playground: An Occupational Therapy Approach To Promoting Community Health, Andrew P. Baglia

MOT Student Capstones

Background Recent studies have raised concern regarding inadequate shade on public playgrounds, leading to an increased risk of sun and heat injury and decreased opportunities for play participation for children. Adequate shade has been shown to be an effective measure to mitigate heat and sun exposure. This Capstone project aimed to positively impact the community of the city of Saluda, North Carolina (NC), by using occupational therapy intervention approaches of promotion, modification, prevention, and education to promote the procurement of adequate shade at the Saluda Elementary School (SES) public playground. Methods This project employed a parent survey to measure attitudes …

Safe Pet Care: Keeping Owners And Pets Safe After Illness And/Or Injury, Sara A. Lowe

MOT Student Capstones

Pet care, for the older adult population, may become problematic after returning home from a recent hospital or rehabilitation stay, due to illness and/or injury. A safe pet care guide was developed, to assist the older adult population, with caring for their pets after they returned home from the hospital or a rehabilitation facility. The safe pet care guide includes information related to safe body movements during pet care activities, products available to assist with pet care, changes to the home, and local pet care resources. Additional safety tips were included to correspond to each area addressed. The manual was …