Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Ez Leader, Kate Alonzo, Ots, Jordaniel Duran, Ids, Lauren Ettore, Ots, Serena Shim, Ots

Program of Industrial Design Posters

Poster is of the "EZ Leader" that is a buckle that was modified for K. due to specific client factors: 1) Easy release buckle; 2)Incorporated K.'s preferred dog collar, the gentle leader; 3) Incorporated cross body bag with magnets to store items while moving; and 4) Added adjustable Micro Educator to position wherever K. prefers it.

The Roll & Go Basket, Emily Christina, Ots, Sydney Melillo, Ots, Devon Franek, Ots, Benjamin Lentz, Ids

Program of Industrial Design Posters

Poster is of "The Roll & Go Basket" that is a multi-use storage basket for a rollator and on person use.

Advocating For Occupational Therapy At The Systemic Level, Alyssa Schwartz

Capstone Projects

The future of occupational therapy, a commonly misunderstood and underutilized profession, is largely influenced by advocacy at the systemic level. The following capstone project was completed at the American Occupational Therapy Association with the federal advocacy department. The capstone site mentor, Abe Saffer, is a lobbyist who mainly works on workforce, mental health, and school-based occupational therapy issues. Throughout this project, the capstone student advocated for occupational therapy and those that occupational therapy serves through legislation, networking, and by facilitating the development of OTP advocates. Additionally, the student acquired skills to continue to advocate for herself, the clients she works …

Occupational Therapy's Impact Utilizing Trauma-Informed Care With At-Risk Youth, Kerri Lindeman

Capstone Projects

The 14-week capstone experience aimed to advocate and implement occupational therapy (OT) alongside a non-profit organization serving at-risk youth while utilizing trauma-informed care (TIC) approach. Alongside various staff and volunteers, this capstone project focused on aiding underserved children in a variety of age-specific after-school programs. This specific population of youth have limited resources at home. The families in the community have limitations with basic needs including food, water, and shelter. The organization was able to fulfill these basic needs along with activities to meet the developmental needs of each child. Due to their minimal resources, the children also have limited …

Features Of Optics And Mounts That Facilitate Participation In Birding For Power Wheelchair Users: An Exploratory Study, Alexander Field

Capstone Projects

Birding as a leisure task may facilitate increased quality of life and regulate the nervous system through nature-based experiences; however, there are no prior published studies that examine adaptive birding equipment, making this research a crucial addition to the field of occupational therapy. Existing birding equipment is built very heavily, making it difficult for users to apply and reposition during the act of birding. This capstone project focused on adaptive birding equipment use by power wheelchair users to determine the supportive features that best facilitated participation in birding from their mobility devices. Researchers purchased lighter weight mounts and various optics …

Drivesafe Driveaware: A Systematic Review, Erin Vito, Anna Barkla, Linda Coventry

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives: Driving is an activity of daily living that significantly affects independence, and driving cessation is associated with poor health, lower quality of life, cognitive decline and early entry into care facilities. There is no consensus regarding the best off-road tool to assess driving safety. Therefore, this review explored the diagnostic accuracy, reliability and clinical utility of DriveSafe DriveAware (DSDA) compared with an on-road driving assessment.

Methods: This review adhered to the PRISMA guidelines. Electronic databases for all English language articles published prior to December 2021 were searched. Studies were assessed for methodological quality and results were synthesised using a …

Poster Presentation: Acupressure Modality Effectiveness: Research Results For Pain And Anxiety Poster, Deanna Waggy Otr, Carroll Noel Mozer Otr/L, Marilyn Zurwaski Otr/L

Journal of Transformative Touch

According to recent studies, including Monson et all, JACM, 2019, there is growing evidence for the effective and safe use of acupressure as a non-pharmacological approach to reducing pain and anxiety. Acupressure can quiet the mind, promoting a sense of well-being by decreasing anxiety.

A collaborative retrospective analysis of self-rated pain and anxiety scores before and immediately after administration of a stress release protocol indicate that acupressure is a highly satisfactory complementary therapy. Results were clinically significant for a decrease in self-rated pain and anxiety scores.

Occupational therapy practitioners as well as those who use the Kawa model of reference …

Acupressure Modality Effectiveness: Research Results For Pain And Anxiety, Deanna Waggy Otr, Carroll Noel Mozer Otr/L, Marilyn Zurwaski Otr/L

Journal of Transformative Touch

According to recent studies, including Monson et all, JACM, 2019, there is growing evidence for the effective and safe use of acupressure as a non-pharmacological approach to reducing pain and anxiety. Acupressure can quiet the mind, promoting a sense of well-being by decreasing anxiety.

A collaborative retrospective analysis of self-rated pain and anxiety scores before and immediately after administration of a stress release protocol indicate that acupressure is a highly satisfactory complementary therapy. Results were clinically significant for a decrease in self-rated pain and anxiety scores.

Occupational therapy practitioners as well as those who use the Kawa model of reference …

‘Can You See What I See?’: An Art Project Promoting Living Well With Dementia, Jennifer K. Fortuna

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Caroline Hyland, an illustrator and former occupational therapist based in Dublin, Ireland, provided the cover art for the Winter 2023 edition of The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy (OJOT). “Can You See What I See?” is an acrylic painting on black textured paper. The piece was inspired by Caroline’s grandmother Kathleen Duhig, her love of flowers, and the song “The Dutchman.” Kathleen and three of her sisters lived with dementia. This painting, and several others, are featured in a book Caroline wrote to support living well with dementia. By combining her artistic talents and training as an occupational therapist, Caroline …

A Scoping Review Of Occupation-Based Interventions For Women With Breast Cancer, Whitney Lucas Molitor, Erika Clark, Brittney Moser

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Globally, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer. Women diagnosed with breast cancer often experience physical and psychosocial changes influencing occupational participation and quality of life. Limited evidence exists that reports outcomes of occupation-based occupational therapy interventions for women with breast cancer.

Method: In this scoping review, we map occupation-based occupational therapy interventions conducted by occupational therapy professionals for women undergoing rehabilitation for breast cancer. The Joanna Briggs Institute Guidelines provided a structure for the review.

Results: Six articles met the inclusion criteria. Interventions included health management, leisure, and social participation occupations.

Conclusion: Occupational …

A Survey Of Universal Design At Museums: Current Industry Practice And Perceptions, Jennifer K. Fortuna, Kayleigh Thomas, Jenna Asper, Laura Matney, Kyra Chase, Stephanie Ogren, Julia Vandermolen

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Museums are key educational and cultural resources in the community, yet many are not accessible to visitors with disabilities. Universal design promotes products and environments usable to the greatest extent possible by all people, regardless of ability. This study explores current industry practice and perceptions of accessibility and universal design in a small sample of American museums. Suggestions for how occupational therapists can help museums go above and beyond ADA guidelines are provided.

Method: An 17-item cross-sectional survey was used to collect data. Twenty-five museum associations assisted with recruitment. A descriptive numerical summary and qualitative analysis were …

Predictors Of Hospital Readmissions For People With Chronic Conditions, Melanie Morriss Tkach, Patricia Bowyer, Marsha Neville, Timothy J. Wolf, Gerald Goodman

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Hospital readmissions remain prominent in health care. Functional, cognitive, and environmental factors predict hospital readmissions but may not be thoroughly measured or addressed prior to discharge.

Method: In this cross-sectional study, people hospitalized with chronic conditions completed measures of self-care function, functional cognition, occupational competence, and environmental impact. They also participated in a phone call or medical records review to identify hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge. In a group session, occupational therapists who work in acute care completed acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility measures for the standardized assessments administered to hospital participants.

Results: Occupational competence …

State Of The Journal: Introducing Assistant Editors, Diane Powers Dirette

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

Mealtime Experiences Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder From The Perspectives Of Filipino Occupational Therapists In Cebu: Implications For Practice, Blaise Audre V. Barrientos, Alyanna Freyse T. Badajos, Erika Faye M. Bucog, Rosse Velle C. Mauro, Paolo Miguel P. Bulan

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Occupational therapists (OTs) handle children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and a common concern is how their sensory processing issues affect their feeding habits. There is limited information regarding interventions about this issue both locally and internationally. This study aims to know the experiences of OTs providing feeding interventions associated with sensory issues for children with ASD. It will also describe what approaches they used for these interventions. Method: Qualitative phenomenology using in-depth interviews with nine OTs in Cebu, Philippines was conducted, and data underwent thematic analysis. Results: Five themes emerged: 1) a family that feeds together, stays …

Effects Of An Occupation-Based Social And Life Skills Session On The Strength Of Intimate Partner Violence Victims’ Generalized Self-Efficacy Beliefs, Sierra Moes

OT Student Capstones

Background: Prior research has identified occupational therapy as a profession poised to provide interventions to enhance the recovery of intimate partner violence victims. The present study aimed to implement a program to affect the generalized self-efficacy beliefs of intimate partner violence victims residing in Autumn House Emergency Crisis Shelter.

Methodology: The Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale was administered before and after a total of seven individual/group sessions to a sample of adults residing at the shelter over the course of the occupational therapy program. Statistical analysis was performed utilizing a one-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and paired T-test Cronbach’s alpha to establish whether the …

Access To And Utilization Of Primary Care: A Synthesis, Klaire M. Johnson

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Barriers to access and utilization of primary care affect nearly 9% of the nation’s population (USDHHS, n.d.a). These barriers are important to evaluate for members of the aging population due to increased need for health care as a result of chronic conditions and falls. Research indicates that access for the aging population is affected by a variety of factors, including: transportation, non-financial barriers, and internal factors. Issues surrounding current delivery of care, such as a workforce shortage of primary care physicians, have compounded the problem even further. While this issue has begun to be addressed through the Affordable Care Act, …

Life Skills Intervention For Formerly Incarcerated Individuals At Maricopa Reentry Center, Dalenna Bellum

OT Student Capstones

The rates of incarceration quickly rose in the United States in the late 1900’s in response to change in legislation in favor of more tough on crime movements and policy. In addition to these movements and other social, environmental, and demographic factors, certain groups of individuals faced increased risk for incarceration and increased challenges before, during, and after incarceration. The purpose of this doctoral capstone experience and report is to explore challenges during community reentry after incarceration that can lead to re-arrest, or recidivism. This is a crucial time because without the appropriate tools, resources, and supports, the individual is …

Effects Of Physical Activity, Play And Mindfulness-Based Interventions On Emotional Regulation And Emotional Awareness Skills In Adults With Developmental Disabilities At A Day-Time Assistance Program, Aaron Arndt

OT Student Capstones

Background: According to literature, deficiencies in emotional regulation and emotional awareness skills are more prevalent among adults diagnosed with developmental disabilities. Limited research shows promising support that the use of noninvasive treatments such as exercise, and play can promote emotional well-being among this population. This project aims to better understand the benefits of physical activity, play, and mindfulness-based interventions on emotional regulation skills in adults with developmental disabilities who attend a day-time assistance program.

Method: This 14-week capstone project was conducted at Lauren’s Institute for Education’s Adult Day Treatment (DTA) program. The occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) student developed and implemented …

Perceptions Of Occupational Therapists Working In Established Pace Programs, Jessica L. Daugherty-Peters

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: The Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) provides medical and social services to older adults who meet nursing home level of care but wish to remain in their own homes. Although PACE has been in existence for decades, this program is new to the state of Kentucky.

Purpose: The problem this Capstone project will address is the need for further research related to occupational therapy’s roles and experiences in PACE programs. This capstone will explore the perceptions of occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants working in established PACE programs.

Methods: This study followed a Qualitative Descriptive …

Perceptions Of Occupational Therapy Practitioners In Recognizing And Addressing Older Adult Food Insecurity, Mitzie Marion C. Mickelson

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: According to productive aging initiatives from the American Occupational Therapy Association, occupational therapy practitioners play an integral role in advancing and promoting wellness and independence of adults in later life. Evidence has indicated that numerous occupational therapy interventions can enhance the quality of life and functional ability levels of older adults and may be modified to target the needs of older adults who experience the threat of hunger.

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study is to explore how occupational therapy practitioners view their role in enhancing older adults’ healthy eating behaviors and reducing the risk of food …

Critiquing Representations Of Intellectual Disability In Occupation-Based Literature, Rachel Reparon, Pamela Block, Ann Fudge Schormans, Debbie Laliberte Rudman, Gail Teachman

Occupational Therapy Publications

Background: Within and beyond occupation-based scholarship, concerns abound regarding the pervasiveness of discourses that promote a negative, deficit-based view of intellectual disability and associated consequences for disabled people’s lives. Such representations risk reducing the complexities of human doing and being and can limit the occupational possibilities of this group. Yet, there is a lack of critically reflexive research exploring how disability is discursively constructed in occupation-based literature.

Aims/Objectives: This paper critically analyses representations of intellectual disability within occupation-based literature. It considers the influence of such representations on the occupational possibilities of people labelled intellectually disabled.

Methods: This review employed a …

Comparing Work Related Injuries Between Sonographers And Occupational Therapists: A Retrospective Analysis, Kelley Osborne, Amber Robert

Student Research Poster Presentations 2023

Work related injuries are more prevalent in Sonographers compared to Occupational Therapists. Work-related injuries in ultrasound and occupational therapy are the result of multiple factors, including repetitive motions, heavy lifting or transfers, awkward postures, non-ergonomic work environments, and equipment. These risk factors have been identified as the main contributors to work-related injuries among Sonographers and Occupational Therapists. This research will continue the discussion of the differences and similarities between work-related injuries amongst Sonographers and Occupational Therapists, ergonomics, types of injuries, and the importance of injury prevention.

How Do Informal Caregivers Of A Person With Dementia Experience Stress And Which Supports Help Mitigate The Effect Of These Stressors?, Kwandra Andrews Brinson

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Alzheimer's disease or related dementias (ADRD) are one of the most rapidly growing epidemics that the world is facing. Caring for a person with ADRD is challenging and often causes informal caregivers stress, loneliness, and social isolation.

Purpose: The aim of this qualitative instrumental case study was to obtain a better understanding of how informal caregivers of persons with ADRD experience stress and which supports helped mitigate the effect of these stressors in their role as a caregiver.

Theoretical Framework: The Model of Human Occupation focuses on therapy helping persons to engage in occupational behaviors that maintain, restore, reorganize, …

Don’T Forget The Importance Of Leisure Occupations For The Community Dwelling Elder, Susan Witt

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Leisure exploration is important to the community dwelling elder (CDE) as research indicates that social and leisure activities correlate with well-being in this population (Adams et al., 2011). This research project aimed to gain insight on the CDE’s perspective on leisure as they age in place and the role occupational therapists play in leisure promotion for this population. This mixed method study included quantitative data from the Activity Card Sort (ACS) assessment which provided data on how leisure and activities of daily living have changed with aging. Qualitative data was gained through semi-structured interview and explored the perspectives of the …

Moving Forward Together: Reflections Of A National Survey Of Ot/Ota Students’ Perceptions Of Culturally Aware Educational Content Delivery, Adair M. Sanchez, Iris W. Burns, Tina M. Deangelis, Maclain Capron, Abigail Mills, Taylor Kligerman

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

In June of 2020 in response to the murder of George Floyd and the additional atrocities against historically marginalized people and communities across the United States, the Commission on Education (COE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) sought to act within its scope. A retrospective survey (N= 1,692) was developed, deployed, and analyzed in accordance with the COE’s standard operating procedures relating specifically to monitoring trends that impact the education of occupational therapy (OT) and occupational therapy assistant (OTA) students. This survey aimed to capture perspectives from OT/OTA students regarding the delivery of culturally aware educational content in curricula …

Evaluating Communication And Collaboration Among Healthcare Students, Lisa J. Knecht-Sabres, Daniel Provencher, Kristy Luciano, Sarah Zera, Susanne Higgins, Dana Lingle, Patricia A. Higgins, Charlotte Bolch

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if the Interprofessional Collaborator Assessment Rubric (ICAR): Communication and Collaboration Dimensions would demonstrate good inter-rater reliability and be a useful and efficient tool to evaluate professional communication and collaboration between occupational therapy (OT) and physician assistant (PA) students. An additional aim of this study was to assess students’ thoughts, perceptions, and perceived value regarding these types of interprofessional opportunities. A sequential explanatory mixed methods design was used. An interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) examined the inter-rater reliability of the instrument for both faculty raters (n = 7) and standardized patient (SP) raters …

An Occupation-Based Approach To Chronic Pain In Rural Alaska, Emma Lehman

Frank Low Research Day Posters

Background: Adults with chronic pain living in rural communities experience occupational deprivation due to a lack of access to healthcare resources and tend to report higher levels of pain compared to urban areas [4, 8]. Chronic pain is multifaceted and managed by many professionals. Occupational therapy (OT) has a significant role in offering effective strategies to improve quality of life, self-efficacy, and daily functioning for those who experience chronic pain [5, 7].

Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project was to advocate for the profession of occupational therapy within rural Alaska areas as well as develop an evidence-based, model-driven, culturally …

Gender Career Stereotypes, Implicit Bias, And Occupational Therapy, Laura H. Vanpuymbrouck, Carli Friedman

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Implicit (unconscious) gender bias and stereotypes can affect clinical decisions and interactions between healthcare professionals, as well as impact careers. However, there is no research exploring the implicit gender bias or stereotypes of occupational therapy students or practitioners. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the gender-career bias of occupational therapy students. To do so, occupational therapy students (n = 54) from three Midwestern United States graduate occupational therapy programs completed the gender-career attitudes implicit association test (IAT) – biases associating women with family, and men with career – as well as a survey polling demographic information. …

Implementing Trauma-Informed Care Across All Occupational Therapy Settings, Scout Hutchinson, Kristin Domville, Pam Kasyan-Howe

Fall 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

A quantitative research design was utilized to analyze the effectiveness of an educational seminar on trauma- informed disseminated to occupational therapy practitioners, determining their previous knowledge on trauma-informed care. The research conducted has provided a more comprehensive understanding of this population and where services are needed. There is still much work to be done with this topic and the cultural shift towards providing trauma sensitive resources to occupational therapy practitioners. The future of trauma-informed care being incorporated into occupational therapy practice settings is up to the motivation and heart of future occupational therapists in hopes to strengthen the resources offered …

The Effects Of Secondary Traumatic Stress And Resilience On The Indicators Of Compassion Fatigue Among Occupational Therapists, Gayla Ann Aguilar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractCompassion fatigue (CF) has been described as the “cost of caring” for traumatized individuals, which may lead to missed workdays, diminished work satisfaction, increased turnover, and decreased client care. CF has long been studied in other caring professionals, but occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) have been largely overlooked. The purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to determine the relationship between secondary traumatic stress (STS) and resilience (RES) on burnout (BO) and compassion satisfaction (CS; i.e., indicators of CF) in OTPs. In this study, the moderation effect that RES has on STS and BO as related to CF in 68 completed …