Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Tattoo Artist Ergonomics: An Educational Video Series, Adeline Wagner, Steven M. Gerardi, Rachel Overberg

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Individuals who are tattoo artists experience hazards in their workplace by sitting and using repetitive movements for extended periods of time in poor postures and positions. The improper use of ergonomics impacts their daily occupational performance, work productivity, well-being, and overall quality of life. The hazards in the workplace can reduce one’s motivation, dictate one’s habits, routines, roles, and ability to complete meaningful activities. The problem is that tattoo artists are not trained in injury prevention which predisposes them to develop injuries. The purpose of this capstone project is to address this problem and develop an educational video series for …

Visual-Mobility: Occupational Therapy's Role In Promoting Aging In Place Among Older Adult Conditions, Jody Shivey

MOT Student Capstones

While the number of aging individuals continues to grow in the U.S., the presence of chronic conditions often minimizes the opportunity to age in place. Moreover, age-related eye disorders inhibit one's access to the environment and participation in valued occupations, leading to a greater risk of falling and being displaced from the home. Despite an older adult's preference to remain in the home, lack of accommodation reduces the potential to do so. As such, an individualized approach to aging in place can be achieved through an occupational therapy practitioner and client partnership, facilitating the use of modifications and adaptations. This …

Heart To Heart: Educating Allied Health Professionals On The Occupational Therapy Role In Cardiovascular Disease Prevention And Management, Hayley Thompson, Peyton Wilson

MOT Student Capstones

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are identified as the leading cause of death globally, often stemming from factors such as hypertension, smoking, and obesity. Despite the effectiveness of preventative care services, including occupational therapy, they remain underutilized. Occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) can play a vital role in CVD prevention and management by addressing identified research gaps and educating allied health professionals in cardiac rehabilitation facilities. This project emphasizes the importance of occupational engagement and holistic approaches, aligning with principles outlined in the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework {OTPF). The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) and the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement (CMOP-E) are …

Identifying And Referring Patients For Occupational Therapy Services In Developing Countries, Rachel Pudlik

MOT Student Capstones

Objective: Developing nations lack the resources and trained professionals on a local level to provide healthcare services. Medical mission organizations host trips in developing nations to provide short term medical care to bridge the gap in services. However, Occupational Therapy (OT) services are underutilized within these organizations. This capstone project explores the expansion of OT services within one medical mission organization, specifically with their school based population, by using a sensory based lens to identify students that would benefit from OT services. Methods: The methodology portion of this project includes reviewing evidence based research articles. conducting needs assessment. completion of …

A Guidebook For The Utility Of Msk Ultrasound In Occupational Therapy Practice: An Educational Guidebook Series, Alanna Arceneaux, Mary Ann Smith, Bert Lindsey

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound is expanding to non-physician rehabilitation providers, and occupational therapy has a clear role in using and facilitating MSK ultrasound that will drastically shape treatment plans and client satisfaction. With increased knowledge of impeding factors, occupational therapists can enforce their role by teaching new skills and techniques to enhance functional mobility and simultaneously assist in completing activities of daily living (ADLs). This capstone aims to understand, develop, and enhance the role of occupational therapy in MSK ultrasound to increase early detection of orthopedic conditions impacting ADLs, which will decrease hospital readmission rates. MSK ultrasound is a safe imaging …

A Qualitative Study On Mother's Occupational Engagement After A Nicu Experience, Rachel Garcia, Mary Ann Smith, Julie Heftie Ms, Otr/L

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Mothers who are “at-risk” for complications during pregnancy have an increased probability for mental health conditions following delivery, adversely affecting their engagement in motherhood occupations. This qualitative study identifies how best to address the needs of “at-risk” pregnant women. Through the process of conducting semi-structured interviews with women who have experienced NICU with their babies, and interviews with healthcare practitioners working in the NICU, their narrative addresses what approaches would support women while they are going through their “at-risk” pregnancies to assist them with the transition to their occupational roles as mothers and promote bonding with their baby.

Occupational Therapy For People With Dementia Who Have Occupational Performance Challenges Due To Depression, Ally Frazier, Steven M. Gerardi

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Individuals with dementia experience a multitude of barriers and challenges that impact their daily engagement throughout the environment. In addition, although the pandemic has concluded, noxious effects are still influencing people's lives. Residential care facilities have noticed continual acts of isolation that are presenting as barriers in mental health. Depression has known to be a common comorbidity in the ailment of dementia. Occupational therapy (OT) practitioners have the unique and valuable role in working with this population to target beyond the biomechanical aspects of a resident. Identifying barriers for mastery in leisure pursuits throughout someone’s day is crucial. When residents …

Ergonomics In Esports: A Video Training Series For Esports Athletes, Duy Do, Steven M. Gerardi, Braden Singleton

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Electronic sports, also known as esports, refers to organized and competitive video gaming against other players or teams. Unlike traditional sports, esports is sedentary, with athletes spending several hours daily seated at their gaming stations. Additionally, esports athletes lack the knowledge of ergonomic hazards and how to mitigate occupational overuse syndromes and mental health challenges. The purpose of this project was to create a video training series from an occupational therapy perspective to educate esports athletes on the ergonomic hazards of esports to improve participation, occupational performance, and quality of life of esports athletes.

An Occupational Therapy Approach To Improving Adl/Iadl Performance In Diabetic Adults With Stroke And Upper Extremity Pathologies, Halle Thomas, Cassandra Nelson

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone presentation depicts the impact of diabetic management with an occupational therapy approach on upper extremity motor function for the adult stroke population. This program utilizes dietary management, a home exercise program, and task modification strategies to improve ADL and IADL performance.

A Manualized Occupational Therapy Communication Skills Intervention For Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Kiara Ainsworth, Steven M. Gerardi

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects many individual's participation in daily activities. There is a lack of research in the area of occupational therapy (OT) treatment for veterans with PTSD. However, there has been an expressed need in the literature for a developed intervention for veterans with PTSD that includes communication skills as a component. To date, a manualized communication skills OT intervention for veterans with PTSD has not been created. The purpose of this paper was to develop a resource tool for occupational therapists to utilize as an intervention when treating veterans with PTSD using the framework of the Model …

A Guidebook For Latina Breast Cancer Survivors & Occupational Therapy Practitioners, Abigail Hernandez, Leslie Khan-Farooqi, Mary Ann Smith

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Many Latina women diagnosed with breast cancer face psychosocial challenges and do not have access or the necessary resources to assist them with these challenges which may lead to decreased quality of life. This study is designed to address the most common psychosocial issues associated with breast cancer to assist Latina women as well as occupational therapy practitioners.

Play Over Talk: A Toolkit For Educators On Adverse Childhood Experiences, Brianna Gallegos, Mary Ann Smith, Cat Daniel

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic experiences that can lead to negative, lasting effects on the health and well-being of the child. Students who have ACEs are more likely to struggle in school, have difficulty paying attention, lack self-regulation skills, and struggle to control their emotions and behaviors. Teachers and school staff may not recognize or know how to support students who have adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) which can impact the child’s occupational role as a student. To date, a resource for school staff with information on ACEs, interventions, and strategies has not been created. The purpose of this project …

Management Of Sensory Processing Challenges In The Classroom: An Educational Video Series For Teachers., Jasmine Guerrero, Steven M. Gerardi

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

An educational video series for teachers on sensory processing and how to manage students with sensory processing challenges in the classroom. The video series includes evidence-based supports and strategies that may be utilized in the classroom to improve students' occupational performance.

Occupational Engagement In Recreational Sports For The Deaf And Hard Of Hearing: An Employee Guidebook, Colleen Mcerlean, Mary Ann Smith, Christopher Ebner

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

An employee guidebook to help increase occupational engagement within recreational sports for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing population in the Austin, TX area.

Self-Regulation And Sensory Processing Education Program For Educators, Julianne Mendivil, Tina G. Bhakta, Angela Blackwell

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Children with low self-regulation skills may face many challenges in the classroom environment that can impact their performance in school-based activities. As teachers play a vital role in the development of young children, this educational program aims to improve teacher competence (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) in applying sensory processing and self-regulating concepts to the school environment.

Play Is A Way Of Life: Play-Based Program For Parents Of Young Children (Ages Two To Five Years Old), Lauren Purdom, Angela Labrie Blackwell, Amanda Perdue Owen

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This play-based program was created for parents of young children (ages two to five years old) and is accessible through a website called "Play is a Way of Life". Within this program it includes, educational material on the differences between active and passive play and recommendations for each type of play that children in this age group should participate in each day. It also includes a 6-week program with a variety of active play activities that target specific skills that children (ages two to five years old) should participate in for their overall development.

Recollection-Based Occupational Therapy: An Activities Program For Catholic Dominican Sisters With Dementia, Alyssa J. Visockis

Capstone Projects

Recollection-based occupational therapy is a nonpharmacological approach to dementia, involving five categories of activities: horticultural, physical, art, musical, and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). The purpose of this approach is to incorporate memories of a person’s childhood, adulthood, and older adulthood before dementia in activities. Furthermore, the Grand Rapids Catholic Dominican sisters at Aquinata Hall needed a method to gather psychosocial history on their residents as well as new activity programming on the dementia- care unit that had meaningful purpose. Therefore, during this capstone experience, a psychosocial history assessment was created and conducted with the sisters. Using the results …

Implementation Of A Bilingual Feeding Program For Hispanic Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sarah Aguilar

Capstone Projects

Feeding is an important occupation that contributes to a child’s physical, emotional, and social development and is also influenced by cultural and environmental factors, (Korth & Maune, 2020). In individuals with developmental delays, specifically autism spectrum disorder (ASD), feeding difficulties have been reported in as many as 75% of children (Nygren et al., 2021). These difficulties often result in increased feelings of anxiety experienced by the child and caregiver. Limited information exists on the impact of these on minority populations, such as Spanish speaking families that face many challenges when accessing healthcare services like language and cultural barriers. Similarly, group …

Designing Sensory Adaptive Environments To Enhance Participation In Healthcare For Autistic Children, Lady Rios-Vega, Amy Carroll, Rachel Dumont, Diane Treadwell‑Deering, Matthew Fields, Roseann Schaaf

Jefferson Autism Center of Excellence Faculty Papers

Purpose: Many autistic individuals experience sensory features that impact participation in healthcare. In this study, we aimed to identify the needs of autistic children during healthcare participation and, based on the findings, generate solutions to improve participation in healthcare. Methods: A design-thinking approach with qualitative methods was used. First, observation of the environment and journey mapping were completed as part of the empathy stage of design thinking. Next, six parents of autistic children completed semi-structured interviews. The interviews were transcribed, and thematic analysis was used to identify themes. Next, healthcare providers participated in a group session to discuss experiences caring …

A Pilot Study On Implementing An Interprofessional Education Model For Developing Rehabilitative Science Student Core Competencies, Maureen Ellen Johnson, Norman Cadiz Belleza, Mohan Ganesan

Journal of Innovation in Health Sciences Education

Introduction: Inclusion of interprofessional education (IPE) in academia is required by education accreditation agencies for occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) in the United States. Limited information is available on models of IPE to guide faculty. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the feasibility of implementing a recently designed IPE model with OT and PT graduate students. This IPE model aligned Interprofessional Education Collaborative core competency domains with novel learning activities, such as an escape room, simulated medical chart, and two simulations.

Methods: Data were retrieved from 52 auto-enrolled students (n=14 OT) and (n=38 PT) …

Occupational Therapy Using Hippotherapy For Children With Developmental Disabilities, Ainsley Ellen Dillon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the impact of incorporating equine movement (hippotherapy) as a treatment tool in occupational therapy (OT) sessions for children with developmental disabilities. This study posed research questions relating to the impact of this treatment tool in OT practice on mobility and daily activity skills within the population of interest. A non-randomized controlled trial with pretest-posttest design was utilized to explore the research questions. Sixteen subjects enrolled in this study by convenience sampling and participated in six weeks of 45-minute OT sessions incorporating equine movement (intervention group, n = 8) or six weeks …

Occupational Therapy’S Opportunity To Impact Care At The End Of Life, Macey Genzlinger, Mackenzie L. Feldhacker

Student Journal of Occupational Therapy

Navigating and managing the end of life can be difficult. The focus of occupational therapy in care at the end of life is to aid the patient and caregiver through these challenges by facilitating improved safety, comfort, and quality of life through the participation in meaningful occupations. Despite the ways that occupational therapy benefits these patients, occupational therapy involvement in care at the end of life is misunderstood, under-researched, and underutilized. There is a general lack of awareness regarding this topic and a stigma that occupational therapy focuses only on rehabilitation and therefore does not belong in care at the …

Participatory Research With Persons Who Experience Mental Illness In Occupational Therapy: A Scoping Review., Elham Javadizadeh, Abram Oudshoorn, Lori Letts, Skye Barbic, Chelsea Shanoff, Carrie Anne Marshall

Occupational Therapy Publications

Background. Persons who experience mental illness also face stigma and discrimination that frequently lead to a loss of ability to exercise autonomy and agency in their lives. Purpose. The range and breadth of literature exploring participatory research with persons living with mental illness are unknown in occupational therapy and occupation science. We initiated this study to fill this gap in the existing occupational therapy and occupational science literature. Method. Using the method of Arksey and O’Malley, we have conducted a scoping review to identify the range and breadth of literature. A qualitative content analysis was per- formed. Findings. A total …

Osces’ Impact On Occupational Therapy Student Learning: Insights From Second- And Third-Year Focus Groups, Craig R. St. Jean, Karin Werther, Mary R. Roberts

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are widely used in health programs to assess clinical skills. We present results of a qualitative study investigating occupational therapy students’ perceptions of OSCEs’ impact on their learning and readiness for clinical practice.

Method: Six second and six third year students in the University of Alberta’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program were interviewed in separate focus groups. Independent reviewers applied thematic analysis to the focus group transcripts to identify, analyze, and report themes in the data.

Results: Five themes were constructed from the data: from learning to action, transition …

A Scoping Review Of Universal Design For Learning In United States Allied Health & Medical Education, Karolina Gawron, Madison Tomlinson, Nicole Mohan, Laura H. Vanpuymbrouck

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Universal design for learning (UDL) is considered best-practice for embracing inclusion for students with disabilities and there is growing evidence of its effectiveness in primary, secondary, and postsecondary education. However, little is known about if and how UDL is being implemented into United States graduate allied health and medical school curriculum as well as evidence of its benefits.

Method: We used Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) methodological framework. Search engines were: PubMed, CINAHL Complete, ERIC, GoogleScholar, and Scopus. Data were analyzed by the research team using Covidence to organize articles, screen, and complete a full-text review. Data extraction …

Perspectives On Adaptation In A Stroke Self-Management Program: A Multiple Case Study, Riqiea F. Kitchens, Gayle Hersch, Wayne Brewer, Marsha Neville

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Occupational Adaptation occurs when a person develops a response to meet an occupational challenge. This process is disrupted when a person experiences a life altering event, such as stroke. Stroke self-management programs equip persons with stroke with education and skills to manage the daily tasks associated with their condition. Few studies have explored the adaptive process survivors experience as they seek to effectively use the tools provided through stroke self-management programs. The objective was to explore the adaptive process of three individuals following participation in a stroke self-management program.

Method: A multiple case study design was used. …

Inclusive Sports Environments: Youth Gymnastics Coaches’ Perceptions On Promoting Inclusivity For Autistic Athletes, Alec D. Sheaffer

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Despite the positive physical, psychological, and social benefits of sports, children with disabilities participate in sports at a lower rate than their typically developing peers. Partnerships between occupational therapists and youth sports providers can facilitate inclusive sports environments that enable equitable access to sports for all children.

Purpose: The purpose of the Capstone Project was to explore youth gymnastics coaches’ perceptions on inclusive sports participation following an educational module.

Theoretical Framework. The occupational justice framework (Townsend & Wilcock, 2004) guided the development of the project through the view that equitable participation in preferred occupations is an individual right.

Methods. …

Ot Cht Treatment And Intervention For Adult Clients After A Nerve Transfer Surgery: A Pilot Survey, Katheryn Fister

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: This study used a pilot survey to collect data regarding how current occupational therapists who are also certified hand therapists are working with adult clients after a nerve trans- fer surgery. The pilot survey was conducted virtually via email and created using Qualtrics software.

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to create a survey tool and obtain data to describe current occupational therapy practice trends, outcomes, and education for clients after a nerve transfer surgery. The research sought to determine what interventions are commonly incorporated, what are common outcomes, what education is being provided, what is included …

Resilience As A State, "A Learned Trait," Among The Brain Injury Population: A Narrative Analysis, Bailey Gifford

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are acquired injuries resulting from an external trauma to the head (Brain Injury Association of America, 2019). The impact of a TBI is significant with those affected experiencing cognitive decline, decreased mobility, communication barriers, reduced social participation and impairments with engagement in valued occupations.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the existing literature regarding state resilience for persons who have experienced TBI.

Theoretical Framework: Occupational Adaptation Model promotes occupational performance in meaningful activities through adaptation, which is a continual process based on fluctuating changes in adversity.

Methods: This project design was a …

Role Of Occupational Therapy Assessment And Office Ergonomics To Support Students With Accommodations In Higher Learning: A Narrative Review, Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia, Christi Tam, Raabia Khan, Bushra Alam, Sujatha Alla

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Postsecondary students with disabilities (SWDs) face significant challenges to their academic and personal well-being. There is a demand for more supportive strategies to facilitate fulfilling and equitable academic experiences for SWDs. This review aimed to (1) determine the effectiveness of various interventions, programs, and accommodations for enhancing the overall well-being of postsecondary SWDs and (2) evaluate the implications of these support strategies for disability service providers at postsecondary institutions. A narrative review was conducted, examining 13 studies aimed at enhancing the well-being of postsecondary SWDs. Studies were classified using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Model. Ergonomics, …