Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

State Of The Journal Year 2: Making Progress, Diane Powers Dirette

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

Employment Needs Of The Age 21 And Over Id Population In South Florida : An Occupational Therapy Perspective, Ingris Treminio

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A review in the literature makes it evident that employment needs of the age 21 and over ID population are not being met; the employment rate for this population continues to be less than half of the employment rate of the general population (Siperstein et al., 2013). There is evidence that occupational therapy has the potential to meet the employment needs of this population, however, practice guidelines for occupational therapists working with this population are limited. This study recruited seven participants and interviewed them using a needs assessment approach to investigate the employment needs of the age 21 and over …

Exploring And Examining Sensory Processing And Social Participation In Gifted Students, Gwendolyn Goodman

MOT Student Capstones

The purpose of this project was to examine and explore the relationship of sensory processing and social anxieties among the gifted in order to better inform occupational intervention and education. With limited research regarding the sensory processing of this specific group, understanding where sensory and social characteristics intersect can assist in understanding occupation based needs. Gifted students have historically been labeled with oddities of social norm presentation and sensory idiosyncrasies. Occupational therapists, educators and parents can be empowered and broaden student diversity to increase participation in occupation for students that are otherwise deemed "self sufficienf' due to their intelligence yet …

Enriching Occupational Therapy In Early Intervention: Using And Documenting The Evidence, Shelli Dry, Christine Myers

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Occupational therapists working in Kentucky’s Early Intervention System (First Steps) are required to use evidence-based practice within their treatment sessions. Evidence-based practice incorporates information from scientific research, the clinician’s expertise and the family’s values in an all-encompassing treatment approach. Implementing evidence-based practice into treatment sessions promotes efficiency in treatment by improving clinical outcomes in a shorter period of time. This capstone project was developed as a first step in identifying methods to promote the implementation and documentation of evidence-based practice into early intervention services. This project included developing an online continuing education course and exploring changes in occupational therapists perceptions …

The Experiences Of Occupational Therapists Working On Interprofessional Primary Health Care Teams: A Case Study., Emma Blake Mcclellan

Online Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this research was to provide evidence on the integration of occupational therapy (OT) intervention in primary care from the perspective of OTs. Typical services provided, experience with team members, and the identified value of OT in primary health care was explored. OT possesses the expertise and skill set to address the most common chronic conditions that primary care providers treat by entry level educational preparation. OT services are based upon a holistic view of individuals creating an affective skill set to participate in and coordinate health care delivery for the client. Currently limited evidence is available to …

Association Of Generalized Joint Hypermobility And Occurrence Of Musculoskeletal Injury In Physical And Occupational Therapy Students, Patricia Bisek, Hannah Owen, Maleeka Rozeboom, Leah Tunseth

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background: A prior research study showed that the prevalence of hypermobility was higher among Physical and Occupational Therapy students as compared to the general population. The literature shows that certain injury rates are higher among those who are hypermobile. This has led to the question of whether or not hypermobility is directly related to injury and recurrence of injury.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess Physical Therapy (PT) and Occupational Therapy (OT) students for hypermobility as well as survey previous injury history. This study analyzed the prevalence of hypermobility with types of injuries in order …

"Bent But Not Broken": A Mixed Methods Study Of Mothering During Chemotherapy For Breast Cancer, Julie A. Baltisberger

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis of women, with an estimated 232,670 new cases in 2014. With 89.2% of breast cancer patients surviving five years or longer, studies are needed to investigate the long-term impact of breast cancer on women and families (National Cancer Institute, 2014).

The purpose of this study was to examine, using a mixed methods approach, the impact of chemotherapy on mothering occupations for patients diagnosed with breast cancer. Thirty-one women (mean age=39.6, SD=5.79), with breast cancer of any stage, who were currently undergoing chemotherapy and had at least one child under the age of …

Criterion-Related Validity Of The Children's Occupational Performance Questionnaire, Kelsey Zukowski

Honors Theses and Capstones

This study examined concurrent, criterion-related validity of a new measure of occupational performance for children, the Children’s Occupational Performance Questionnaire (COP-Q). The COP-Q is completed by caregivers of children to measure performance in five areas of occupation: Activities of Daily Living, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, Social Participation, Play/Leisure, and Education/Work. Scores from a sample of children ranging in age from birth to 18 years were correlated with scores from the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-II (VABS), a well-established assessment tool of adaptive behavior that measures similar functional areas as the COP-Q. The results indicated that the COP-Q correlates highly and …

Identifying The Enablers And Barriers To Community Participation Amongst Older Adults, Nicole Papageorgiou

Theses : Honours

The older adult population in Western Australia (WA) has significantly increased over the last decade and continues to grow, highlighting the importance of maintaining their health, wellbeing and independence. This may be achieved by facilitating active ageing, enabling older adults to continue to live meaningful and fulfilling lives, contribute positively to society, and lower the demand on costly health and human services. Conversely, a lack of social engagement and community participation may hinder healthy ageing and lead to social isolation, which is adversely related to the quality of life and health status of older adults. Occupational participation is critical to …

Growing Up In Ireland: Factors Impacting Sleep Patterns Of Preterm Infants, Joanne Fallon

Theses and Dissertations

GROWING UP IN IRELAND: FACTORS IMPACTING SLEEP PATTERNS OF PRETERM INFANTS

By Joanne Fallon MS, OT, PhD

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015.

Major Director: Shelly J. Lane, PhD, Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy

Preterm infants represent the largest child patient group in the European Union (EU), accounting for 5.5-11.4% of all births (European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants, 2011b). Preterm birth is defined as birth prior to 37 weeks gestation. Infants born late preterm (34-36 weeks) are considered more …

Facilitating Effective Communication Between First Responders And Older Adults During Fall Incidents, Krystin M. Beeman, Erica L. Berger, Isabel A. Cabezas, Nicole M. Mathews

Student Research Posters

PURPOSE. The purpose of this project was to provide first responders with communication strategies for older adults that may help when responding to fall- related calls. General information was also provided to First Responders on working with older adults with a focus on the aging process, fall risk factors, and communications strategies.

METHODS. A series of educational sessions to first responders at a local fire district were developed and presented by occupational therapy students. Materials were developed by presenters from evidence-based resources and tailored to the target population. Each presentation focused on statistics about older adults, the aging process, fall …

The Effect Of Therapeutic Listening(R) On Bilateral Coordination, Emily Smiley, Daryl Arora, Jiawen Liang, Melissa Ramirez

Student Research Posters

This study concludes a 2-year long randomized control pretest posttest design study examining the effects Therapeutic Listening® Bilateral Quickshift intervention, on bilateral coordination in typically developing children between the ages of seven to eleven. Participants were recruited from after school programs at Coleman Elementary and St. Anselm School located in Marin County, California, as well as word of mouth from the Dominican University community. Participants were randomly assigned to either the Therapeutic Listening® intervention or white noise control intervention. All participants completed a pretest to establish a baseline of bilateral coordination abilities. Participants then listened to 15-minutes of the intervention, …

The Effect Of Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation On Brain Structure And Cognition In Huntington's Disease: An Exploratory Study, Travis M. Cruickshank, Jennifer A. Thompson, Juan F. Dominguez D, Alvaro P. Reyes, Mike Bynevelt, Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis, Roger A. Barker, Mel R. Ziman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: There is a wealth of evidence detailing gray matter degeneration and loss of cognitive function over time in individuals with Huntington's disease (HD). Efforts to attenuate disease-related brain and cognitive changes have been unsuccessful to date. Multidisciplinary rehabilitation, comprising motor and cognitive intervention, has been shown to positively impact on functional capacity, depression, quality of life and some aspects of cognition in individuals with HD. This exploratory study aimed to evaluate, for the first time, whether multidisciplinary rehabilitation can slow further deterioration of disease-related brain changes and related cognitive deficits in individuals with manifest HD. Methods: Fifteen participants who …

Lack Of Medicaid Funding For Occupational Therapy Serving The Autism Spectrum Disorder Population Ages 0-5 Years, Nadia Yala

Honors Theses

The prevalence of autism in the United States is currently 1 in 68 children (Autism Alliance of Michigan, 2014). This is considered an epidemic. There are a variety of treatments available in the state of Michigan for children with autism, such as occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, and applied behavior analysis (ABA). Effective April 1^st, 2013, Michigan increased their funding cap for ABA therapy for treating children with autism. However, there is a lack of knowledge within the community and amongst professionals in regards to the critical treatment occupational therapy practitioners provide and as a result, there …

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Retrospective Analysis Of Conservative Treatments, Sarah E. Johnson, Britta L. Carlson, Maureen G. Meyers

Hand and Upper Extremity

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify which conservative occupational therapy (OT) treatment(s) were most effective in reducing pain in patients diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

Design: A retrospective study of 222 de-identified treatment cases of patients seen from January 1st, 2004 to December 31st, 2013 were examined. Paired sample t-tests determined statistical significance between eight initial and final outcome measures. Binary logistic regressions determined statistical significance of clinically effective treatments that reduced pain at rest and pain with activity.

Setting: The 222 cases were from 31 outpatient rehabilitation clinics offering occupational therapy services.

Subjects: Participants were …

Increasing The Degree To Which Evidence-Based Practice Is Carried Out By Ots At Magee Rehabilitation, Debra Zelnick, Otd, Otr/L

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

PICO Question:

Does in-service education on evidence-based practice provided to occupational therapists increase knowledge of the tools and resources necessary to become evidence-based practitioners?

Evolution Of A Theory: How Measurement Has Shaped Ayres Sensory Integration, Zoe Mailloux, Heather Miller-Kuhaneck

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

The body of scientific inquiry developed by A. Jean Ayres is deeply rooted in systematic and methodical measurement, and her work marked the first effort by an occupational therapist to build a theory for clinical application with an evidence-based approach.

An Overview Of Cancer Rehabilitation And Exercise In The Literature: Promoting Increased Referrals To Improve Oncology Outcomes, Leslie J. Waltke

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Medical management for malignant neoplastic diseases includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and hormonal and biological therapies. Each of these antineoplastic interventions has unique impacts on physiological, musculoskeletal and functional performance. Cancer rehabilitation is the area of physical medicine responsible for addressing impairments associated with cancer treatment and survivorship, advanced disease and end of life. Although it is expected that more than one-half of persons being treated for cancer will suffer moderate pain and physical and functional decline, and that most will describe fatigue, referrals to rehabilitation are traditionally low. Evidence suggests that referrals to rehabilitation before, during and after treatment for …

Occupational Therapy After Myocardial Or Cerebrovascular Infarction: Which Factors Influence Referrals?, Julia Drosselmeyer, Achim Jockwig, Karel Kostev, Christina Heilmaier

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Cardiovascular diseases remain the number one cause of death worldwide, and many survivors suffer lasting disabilities. Occupational therapy can help such patients regain as much function as possible. However, little is known about the factors influencing referrals to occupational therapy after stroke or myocardial infarction (MI).

Method: Data from the IMS Disease Analyzer^® database were observed for a three-year period. The study population included 7,440 patients who were examined by a cardiologist due to stroke or MI. In addition to baseline characteristics, the presence of certain cardiovascular risk factors or comorbidities was recorded. Cox regression analyses were performed …

Systematic Review: Occupational Therapy And Chronic Conditions In Primary Care, John Flood, Jillian Petty, Noreen Reidy, Shannon Whyte

Collaborative Research and Evidence shared Among Therapists and Educators (CREATE Day)

Learning Objectives:

• Define occupational therapy’s role in the primary care setting with a focus on those with chronic conditions using Occupational Therapy Practice Framework terminology.
• Describe the current evidence on occupational performance related to occupational therapy services in primary care.
• Discuss the future implications for occupational therapists working in primary care.

Promoting Client Goal Ownership In A Clinical Setting, Laura H. Vanpuymbrouck

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Effective goal setting involves collaboration between the client and therapist and is an important component of occupational therapy practice. However, encouraging involvement and collaboration does not necessarily guarantee that client goals are incorporated into the treatment plan. The purpose of this innovative treatment program was to determine if providing a client with a venue for goal identification, documentation, and maintenance might impact participation and satisfaction in a day rehabilitation setting. Responses to a study satisfaction survey (Ss) were taken at baseline and immediately postintervention from the experimental (N = 11) and control (N = 10) groups and attendance rates were …

Evidence-Based Health Literacy Training Program For Occupational Therapy Professionals : Program Development And Evaluation, Cheryl Miller-Scott

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This capstone project is a training program development and evaluation project. The purpose of the project was to develop, pilot, and evaluate an

evidence-based health literacy training program for occupational therapy professionals. Occupational therapy strives to be a science-driven profession, which provides client-centered care. Health literacy is a client-centered factor for which occupational therapy professionals require additional training to best serve their clients in all settings and across the lifespan. A review of health literacy literature was used in this project to develop the training program and offers a science-driven approach to this client-centered factor for occupational therapists to better …

Pilot Interprofessional Education Program For Ot Student Pediatric Practice Readiness, Michelle A. Suarez, Heather K. Koole, Jerrold Jackson

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

This mixed methods pilot study investigated the impact of an interprofessional education program on OT student readiness for collaboration with SLP students in a pediatric teaching-clinic practice setting. OT students were randomly assigned to either the treatment group, which received the interprofessional education experience, or the control group, which received the typical educational experience. Students completed pre and post surveys and journaled about the experience. Results pointed to a ceiling effect in the measurement scales in both the treatment and control groups due to positive attitudes at baseline. This positivity was also reflected in journal entries for the treatment group …

Beyond The Pencil: Expanding The Occupational Therapists’ Role In Helping Young Children To Develop Writing Skills, Hope K. Gerde, Tricia D. Foster, Lori E. Skibbe

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists (OTs) play an important role in early childhood classrooms as vital members of the educational team, particularly for young children’s writing development. Children’s emergent writing is a foundational literacy skill, which begins to develop well before they enter elementary school. However, early childhood classrooms are lacking in supports for early writing development. OTs are experts in guiding the development of early writing skills in young children and, therefore, should be considered as critical members of the early literacy curriculum team. This paper identifies the critical role emergent writing plays in early childhood literacy development and how to effectively …

Case Study: Caregiver Perception Of Pediatric Multidisciplinary Feeding Outpatient Clinic, Thomas F. Fisher, Anna Dusick

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

This study explores the perception of satisfaction of caregivers who attended a feeding clinic at a large pediatric hospital in the midwest. The clinic is designed for a multidisciplinary team to meet with the child and the caregiver. Thirty-five participants were involved in the study. Results indicated that most participants were satisfied with the clinic experience. However, there were areas of care not covered by the members of the feeding team, which indicates a need. It is suggested that this need could be filled by occupational therapists.

Choosing The Path Of Leadership In Occupational Therapy, Clark Patrick Heard

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Leadership is vital to the success and sustainability of any group, organization, or profession. Using a qualitative phenomenological methodology, consistent with interpretative phenomenological analysis, this study examines why occupational therapists choose the path of leadership. Data was collected through the completion of semistructured interviews with 10 occupational therapy leaders in Ontario, Canada. This collected data was transcribed verbatim and coded for themes by multiple coders. Several methods were employed to establish trustworthiness. Results identify that a desire to influence the profession or care delivery, a need for personal or career development, and a need for change motivate those occupational therapists …

State Of The Journal: The First Year, Diane Powers Dirette

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

Experience Of Occupational Therapists Practicing In Rural Kenya, Picoty Cherotich Leitich

Online Theses and Dissertations

In Kenya, occupational therapy, which is slowly gaining attention, is still concentrated in the cities with a very small number working in rural areas. Occupational therapy practice in rural areas is impacted by various factors that are naturally occurring in rural settings such as poor infrastructure, cultural beliefs and values, language barriers, economic statuses, lack of resources, geographical barriers, lack of transportation and limited number of occupational therapists. In this study, three occupational therapists were interviewed as well as photographs of the resources used in these rural settings were collected in order to understand the nature of their work in …

The Art Of Collaboration In Academic And Clinical Partnerships, Kelsey Spencer Bennett

Online Theses and Dissertations

Occupational therapists in various settings share a professional identity valuing occupation. Their socialization into a practice setting is context-dependent, in terms of the skills needed and roles to be enacted. Collaboration between occupational therapists in clinical and academic settings benefits each participant, along with presenting challenges given the systems where they work. The purpose of this project was to delve into understanding the culture of the settings (academic and clinical) influencing a community-based research partnership. Through a mini-ethnographic approach, similarities and differences of culture emerged describing the depth of components for the collaboration between research group members. This description may …

Encouraging Occupation: A Systematic Review Of The Use Of Life Review And Reminiscence: Therapy For The Treatment Of Depressive Symptoms In Older Adults, Allison P. Zuiderveen, Caitlin M. Ivey, Sarah A. Dordan

Older Adult

Objective: The present systematic review attempts to investigate the efficacy of both life review and reminiscence therapy interventions in the treatment of depressive symptoms in older adults. This review also attempts to clearly define each intervention; thereby determining which type of therapy was actually performed in previous research studies.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted using three databases: CINAHL, PubMed, and PsycINFO. Six studies met the inclusion criteria and pertinent variables were extracted for data analysis.

Results: In all six articles, the reminiscence therapy or life review intervention was found to be effective in the treatment of …