Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Advocating For Occupational Therapy In The Pediatric Primary Care Setting, Margaret Bauer

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This project explored the experiences of caregivers interacting within the pediatric primary care setting in order to determine a need for occupational therapy to help support acquisition of child developmental milestones, screening for developmental delays, and implementation of health behaviors into family routines. An IRB research study was conducted to survey primary caregivers of children across the country to ascertain their experiences and knowledge of OT, ease of health behavior implementation, and comfortably discussing child development with their pediatrician's. A needs assessment survey was distributed at a San Diego pediatric primary care clinic, and a program was developed to support …

Qualitative Evaluation Of Occupational Therapy Assessments In Treating Veterans With Ptsd Who Are Transitioning Into Civilian Life, Natalia Marquez-Sterling

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Presentation on the capstone paper Qualitative Evaluation of Occupational Therapy Assessments in Treating Veterans with PTSD Who are Transitioning into Civilian Life. Explores the strengths and limitations of an OT assessment toolkit as well as the role of OTs in treating veterans with PTSD transitioning into civilian life.

Habituation In Occupational Therapy For People With Alcohol Use Disorder, Sarah Garces, Steven M. Gerardi

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is an ongoing chronic health problem affecting millions of people worldwide. Habituation is a construct used by the occupational therapy (OT) practice model, the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO). Habituation relates to a persons’ roles, habits, and routines, and how these interact to shape occupational participation and performance. Since the habitual use of alcohol is a key component of AUD, an understanding of how habituation is addressed in OT intervention is essential. The OT literature has not been systematically reviewed to determine how habituation is addressed in OT practice in clients with AUD, leaving it difficult …

Driving With Low Vision: Development Of Evidence Based Practice Manual For Bioptic Drivers, Emily Rose Sonni

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone was centered around the creation of a pre-driver training manual for novice drivers with Bioptic Telescope Systems (BTS) in preparation for behind-the-wheel training. The BTS pre-driver training manual was created with OTs at Vanderbilt Eye Institute as well as various OTS/CDRS from additional universities around the country. The manual consists of several parts including: bioptic care/hygiene, steps to become a bioptic driver in TN, how to use the bioptic, pre-driver training activities, time log form and helpful resources page. We also distributed a survey to current novice drivers (without the training manual) to get an impression of …

Sexuality Based Content In An Entry- Level Occupational Therapy Curriculum: A Content Analysis, Victoria E. Ontiberos, Steven M. Gerardi, Elizabeth Deluca

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Sexuality is multifaceted and is developed across the lifespan. Researchers report little advancement, consistency, and knowledge regarding incorporation of sexuality into occupational therapy (OT) curricula, which supports the need for research. The purpose of this capstone project was two-fold: a) to conduct a content analysis of an entry-level OT curriculum to identify content gaps regarding addressing sexuality in practice; and b) to develop sexuality-based educational materials as a resource for the faculty for potential inclusion in future courses. The Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) is an evidenced-based model that was used in this project, in conjunction with notional sexuality educational …

Integrating Best Practice In Belmont’S Otd Curriculum Through Research, Dissemination, And Development Of Supplemental Course Materials, Alyson Graham

OTD Capstone Projects

This project was focused on researching best practice for teaching to large class sizes in preparation for the increasing cohort sizes within Belmont University's OTD program. Research included best practice for large class sizes as well as best practice within occupational therapy programs. This research was consolidated into a paper which included recommendations that could potentially be implemented into the OTD program. Additional materials were created based on that research for potential use within the mental health curriculum of the OTD program and were included in a Blackboard Sandbox course which faculty can access and utilize in the future.

Enhancing Otd Clinical Pathophysiology Course Curriculum, Ashley N. Rabuck

OTD Capstone Projects

To build upon the foundation of the OTD Clinical Pathophysiology course as to promote student-centered teaching and learning as well as course application to future occupational therapy clinical practice

Gigi’S Playhouse Program Development, Jensen Anderson

OTD Capstone Projects

This capstone project was completed through a partnership with GiGi’s Playhouse of Nashville. GiGi’s Playhouse offers free and purposeful programs for individuals with Down Syndrome from birth through adulthood. The focus of this project was development, modification, and facilitation of the GiGi University program. GiGi University is a program for adults focused on career skills, communication skills, money management, and wellness through nutrition, healthy cooking, and fitness. The goal of this program is to promote increased independence and confidence, as well as to prepare participants for career opportunities and the GiGi’s Playhouse internship program. The national curriculum was modified to …

Development And Implementation Of An Outcome Measure For Move Inclusive Dance, Morgan Sondergeld

OTD Capstone Projects

Due to the need for increased funding at MOVE Inclusive Dance, an outcome measure was created and piloted to display program efficacy. This outcome measure with collected data will illustrate to stakeholders and grant committees the value of MOVE Inclusive Dance. Furthermore, a revised sensory protocol was created to ease student transition from classroom to stage through the use of visuals and strategies. Lastly, an organized document was created for the owner of MOVE Inclusive Dance to continuously apply for grants over the coming years with increased ease.

An Examination Of The Occupational Impact On Family Life Having A Child In Competitive Sports, Kelsey Hamilton, Karen Park, Susan Macdermott

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this capstone research project was to examine the impact of having a child in competitive sports has on the performance patterns of a family. As youth sports culture intensifies in America, it is important to provide an occupational therapy perspective on this aspect of life. A mixed methods research study was conducted with twenty-seven parents of children in competitive team sports. Survey and semi-structured interviews provided insight into the lived experiences of families with a child in competitive sports.

Improving Occupational Engagement: An Occupation-Based Virtual Program For Caregivers Of Individuals With Dementia, Betsabel Garcia, Pam Kasyan-Howe, Kristin Domville, Lisa Schubert

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Dementia is a progressive disorder that affects many people worldwide including informal caregivers of individuals with dementia (Harrison et al., 2019). Every year, more than 16 million Americans provide more than 17 billion hours of unpaid care for family and friends with Alzheimer’s disease or other related dementias (CDC, 2019). As a result, many informal caregivers experience higher levels of caregiver burden, depression, and anxiety (Amato et al., 2021; Raj et al., 2021; Walter & Pinquart, 2020). This causes an occupational imbalance in caregivers' ability to meet their needs and those of their loved one. Leisure is within occupational therapy's …

How Occupational Therapy Can Assist With Successful Aging In .Place For Baby Boomers, Paige W. Vissman

MOT Student Capstones

Aging in place is an emerging concept within the occupational therapy (OT) profession and is described as "the ability to live in one's own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income or ability level" (CDC, n.d.). It can be successfully achieved with early planning, appropriate home modifications, community and family support, and available resources. Aging in place is desired in the senior population, specifically the Baby Boomer generation, and can positively affect one's life satisfaction and quality of life. As an emerging area of practice within OT, professionals can play a role in the success of …

Covid-19 And Telehealth Use Among Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, And Speech-Language Pathology Practitioners In The United States, Caesarinne Sprianu, Dragana Krpalek, Julie D. Kugel, Gurinder Bains, Lida Gharibvand

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: To explore occupational, physical, and speech-language pathology therapists’ perceived effectiveness of telehealth and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their professional roles. Method: Participants were recruited for the study through a research flyer distrusted via postal mail, emails, social media, and national association websites. An anonymous electronic 19-item survey was developed for this study by the researchers based on a review of the literature and clinical experience. Results. In total, 186 survey responses were obtained, with 152 meeting the inclusion criteria. The average age of participants was 38.6 years with an average work duration of 12.7 years ± 12.5 …

Effectiveness Of Interprofessional Education Modules On Cultural Competency Of Physical Therapy And Occupational Therapy Students, Ayse Ozcan Edeer, Nadia Rust

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The United States is a melting pot of diverse ethnicities and cultures. Graduate-level teaching methods must prepare students to work with diverse populations and in various contexts. The outcome of instruction should be technically competent and culturally humble health care providers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of collaborative interprofessional instruction on cultural competency levels of Doctor of Physical Therapy Program (DPT) and Master of Science Occupational Therapy Program (MSOT) students. Methods: This was a pre-posttest quasi experimental study. A total 58 students from the DPT (28) and MSOT (30) programs participated and provided demographic …

Impact Of Stigma On Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Implications For School-Based Occupational Therapists, Sidney M. Mcreynolds Mrs.

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

This study used the Attention/Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Stigma Questionnaire (ASQ) and the ADHD Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (ADHD-IRAP) among school-based professionals, including occupational therapists. 24 occupational therapists and 23 other school professionals completed demographic questions and the ASQ. 22 completed scores were used for the ADHD-IRAP results. Other school professionals (36.17%) reported having experience with children with ADHD outside of their professional capacity more than occupational therapists (23.40%) which was marginally significant (F (0.96, 10.78) = [11.75], p = .051). On the ASQ subscales, there was a significant difference between groups for Self-Image (F (2.55,10.05) = [11.42], p = .002), …

Impact Of Coping Strategies For Caregivers Of Those With Dementia Or Alzheimer's Disease, Amanda W. Tilley

MOT Student Capstones

Caregivers of those who have Alzheimer's disease (AD) or dementia are challenged by the burdens placed on them in their role including not knowing how to use coping strategies to decrease the burden of care. There has already been research completed on how occupational therapy (OT) can help the client who has dementia or AD and how the caregiver can improve communication with person who has dementia or AD. There is a gap in the research showing how OT can help the caregivers cope with their role. OT can help with the difficulties caregivers have by teaching them coping strategies …

Using Creative Making To Redesign Life After Stroke, Jennifer K. Fortuna

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Kate Davies, a knitwear designer and author based in Scotland, provided the cover art for the Winter 2022 edition of the Open Journal of Occupational Therapy. “Balance for Better” is a blanket made from wool and mohair. The blanket consists of 30 individual squares designed and knitted by KDD & Co. employees. The colors and pattern of each square reflect the work, achievements, and legacy of the inspirational women celebrated in the blanket. At age 36, Kate suffered a near-fatal stroke that left her paralyzed on the left side of her body. Forced to give up her career as …

Racially Informed Care: A Treatment Approach And Exploration Of The Implications Of Race Related Barriers In The United States, Charae Mcconnell

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Social factors surrounding race and ethnicity often create barriers to meaningful occupation and keep people of color from achieving a greater quality of life (Pooremamali et al., 2016). These barriers often result in occupational deprivation and feelings of alienation in society. Research has shown that these barriers created by systematic racism exist for individuals across different environments and persist over their lifetime (Pooremamali et al., 2016). Because of these barriers and the prolonged stress responses caused by racism, people of color, especially black and brown, have significantly higher rates of chronic illness than White Americans. People of color, specifically African …

Sleep In The Intensive Care Unit (Icu): An Overlooked Opportunity For Occupational Therapists To Fill A Gap In Health Care Service, Mckenzie C. Bolin, Melissa M. Sweetman

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Sleep hygiene is well-established in the scope of occupational therapy practice; however, this occupation is rarely addressed in the intensive care unit (ICU). The majority of health care practitioners believe patients experience reduced sleep quality in the ICU, which can negatively impact patient outcomes. Through a review of the literature, this paper identifies common factors that negatively influence sleep quality and duration and proposes evidence-based interventions to improve patients’ sleep. Factors that influence sleep and fall in the domain of occupational therapy practice include the environment, psychosocial elements, and patient care. Occupational therapists can use interventions, such as orienting patients …

Guidelines For Medication Education For Occupational Therapists, Jaclyn K. Schwartz

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Taking medications is a vital health management activity for people with chronic health conditions. These individuals must take their medications as prescribed to receive the intended benefits and minimize negative effects. Many people with chronic health conditions do not know essential information about their medications, which limits their ability to take their medications as prescribed. Occupational therapists regularly engage in client education to enhance performance of health management. When addressing medications, however, additional considerations are needed because of the highly regulated, interdisciplinary, and complex nature of this occupation. The purpose of this practice guideline is to describe the integration of …

Occupational Therapists’ Perspectives On Caregiver Education Of Stroke Survivors, Elinor Pastore, Daniel Ryan, Lisa J. Knecht-Sabres

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Introduction: The objective of this research study was to gather a greater understanding of how occupational therapists provide education to caregivers of stroke survivors and how they address the needs of caregivers throughout the rehabilitation process.

Methods: The researchers used a convergent mixed methods design. RedCap electronic surveys containing both open-ended and closed-ended questions were completed by 90 participants from multiple states. A focus group (n = 8) and a one-on-one interview (n = 1) were conducted to gather qualitative information regarding occupational therapists’ perspectives related to their experiences on educating caregivers in the acute rehabilitation setting. Descriptive …

Exploring The Feasibility Of A Virtual, Home-Based Musicglove® Protocol For Children With Hemiparetic Cerebral Palsy, Tiana Nguyen, Lisa Choromanski, Tatiana Kreuzer, Jamie Stroppini

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: The MusicGlove® as an occupational therapy intervention has been shown to improve upper limb function and satisfaction over conventional therapies for adults who have had a stroke, however, its effectiveness with children who have cerebral palsy has not been examined. The purpose of this research was to explore the feasibility of a virtual, home-based MusicGlove® protocol to increase upper extremity function, quality of life, and internal motivation in children with hemiparetic cerebral palsy.

Method: Three participants, ages 6 to 16, diagnosed with hemiparetic cerebral palsy participated in 23 guided sessions using the home-based MusicGlove protocol over 5 …

Analysis Of Zero Balancing Case Studies Through An Occupational Therapy Lens, Deanna Waggy Otr, Msa, Czb, Csla

Journal of Transformative Touch

Does Zero Balancing positively impact occupational performance? This is a question many Occupational Therapists (OTs) ask when discerning if Zero Balancing (ZB) is an evidence-based treatment modality. Case studies from the book Experiencing the Power of Zero Balancing: Case Studies of Journeys to Health and Wholeness (Quarry & King, 2016) were reviewed and compared to the Occupational Therapy domain of practice to show clear evidence that each case study had a positive impact on occupational performance. A comparison chart shows a direct link between the occupational categories and documented evidence of improved occupational performance through practitioner observation and client feedback …

Impact Of The Level Of Parental Involvement In Occupational Therapy Services On Patient Outcomes For Children Ages 0-3 In The Outpatient Setting, Lauren Hackl

OT Student Capstones

This project aims to analyze the relationship between parent involvement in OT services and patient outcomes for children ages 0-3 in the outpatient setting. This project involves both therapist and parent interactions with the administration of surveys over the span of a 14-week period to measure parental involvement. Standardized assessment scores were used throughout the project to measure patient outcomes. The implementation of this project can help parents understand the importance of their involvement in occupational therapy services both inside the clinic and at home and how it can increase patient outcomes and child development.

A Cognitive Protocol For Individuals With Concussion, Faith M. Urbanik

OT Student Capstones

Background: Concussions have been identified in the literature to cause impairments in several cognitive domains. Limited research exists for cognitive interventions for occupational therapists (OTs) working with concussions and post-concussion syndrome (PCS) using a bottom-up approach that targets domains of cognition. This pilot study responds to these shortcomings by identifying and implementing evidence-based treatment options for OTs working with individuals with concussion and PCS to mitigate associated cognitive deficits. Method: The researcher included participants, ages 18 years or older, who are three days’ to six months’ post-concussion with concussions or PCS in this study. The researcher administered a cognitive protocol …

Video-Based Educational Module To Support Adaptive Gaming Services, Kendyl Zimmer

OT Student Capstones

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

1. Improve access to adaptive video gaming technology 2. Mitigate abandonment of the technology

METHODS

Over 14 weeks, the student designed and created an educational video-based module in collaboration with AzTAP. The process included:

• Conducting research on current accessible gaming technology
• Identifying video topics that would be useful to the community
• Writing the script for each video
• Editing and adding subtitles

PROJECT OUTCOME

To evaluate the module’s effectiveness in meeting the objectives, four AzTAP staff members watched the complete module and responded to a qualitative follow-up questionnaire comprised of six questions

Implementing An Aging In Place Program With Emphasis On Home Safety And Accessibility For Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Erin K. Richardson

OT Student Capstones

The baby boomer generation is the largest and most diverse population to ever age in America’s history. By the year 2030, the baby boomer population will reach 65 and older (American Counts Staff, 2019). Meaning every 1 in 5 individuals in the United States will be over 65 within the next decade (Rural Health Information Hub, n.d.). The Census Bureau projects that older adults are expected to outnumber children under 18 for the first time in America’s history by the year 2034 (American Counts Staff, 2019). For this reason, the National Alliance for Caregiving (2020) advocates for more policies, funding, …

The Effectiveness Of Sensory Interventions On Social Participation, Morgan Holcom

OT Student Capstones

Sensory integration is among the most frequently used treatment approaches in pediatric occupational therapy (Schoen et al., 2019). Approximately 5%-16% of children in the United States experience sensory integration dysfunctions and that percentage increases in children with disabilities (Flanagan et al., 2019; Matsushima & Kato, 2013; Randell et al., 2019; Reynolds et al., 2011; Schaaf et al, 2018; Smith Roley et al., 2015). Children with sensory integration dysfunction have been found to experience disruptions in their everyday occupations, including social participation (Lane et al., 2019). To address such deficits, both sensory integration and sensory-based interventions have increasingly been used to …

The Relationship Between Head And Neck Lymphedema And Dysphagia For Individuals With Oropharyngeal Cancer: A Retrospective Study, Madison A. Cherry

OT Student Capstones

The American Cancer Society (2022) estimates about 54,000 new cases of oropharyngeal cancer in 2022. Oropharyngeal cancer, a type of head and neck cancer (HNC), typically refers to cancer in the base of tongue, oropharynx, tonsils, or mouth. The American Cancer Society (as cited by Cohen et al., 2016) recommends that physicians assess HNC survivors for lymphedema and refer them to a lymphedema therapist if necessary. Lymphedema presents as soft-tissue swelling and localized accumulation of high-protein fluid that can cause an inflammatory response resulting in disfigurement, tissue fibrosis, functional limitation, pain, and infections (Gutiérrez et al., 2020). There are two …

Establishing Test-Retest Reliability And Internal Consistency Of The Occupational Resilience Measure, Kara Gore

OT Student Capstones

Without a clear understanding of the dynamic relationship between resilience and occupation, occupational therapy has lacked the tools necessary to optimize resilience in research and clinical practice.

Occupational resilience is defined as “the capacity for persistence in the performance of an occupation, whereby capacity is reflected in both duration and intensity of engagement in a specified occupation” (Muriithi et al., 2022).

Occupational Resilience Measure 1.0 (ORM) and the Occupational Resilience Individual Perception Scale (ORIPS) to be used as the primary assessment tools for measuring resilience in individual occupations.

Aim: Establish the test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the ORM; establish …