Occupational Therapy Commons^™

The Impact Of Education On Implementation Of Mirror Box Therapy Across Occupational Therapy Practice Settings, Nicole Y. Larue

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Mirror box therapy has been found to be effective in changing motor and sensory outcomes in patients with cerebrovascular accident (CVA). It has many benefits to use for occupational therapists such as ease of use, ease of transportation, capability to be used across practice settings, and ability to be incorporated into conventional therapy treatment. However, therapists included in this study may not have been using the intervention due to lack of knowledge or availability of the intervention equipment.

The purpose of this capstone project was to determine the impact education would have on occupational therapists’ attitudes and behaviors towards the …

Acute Care Occupational Therapy Practice: Application Of The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure In A Palliative Care Program, Karen Enlow

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Occupational therapists working in acute care must meet the many challenges of working with a diverse group of clients such as adult cancer survivors. Clients may be transitioned to acute palliative care due to disease progression. Clients in palliative care have many unmet needs affecting engagement in occupations, thus requiring occupational therapy services. The goal of this capstone project is to describe occupation-based problems and level of independence in completing basic activities of daily living among acute palliative care clients to illustrate the importance of using occupation-based approach with this population. The longitudinal prospective study utilized standardized evaluations to assess …

Heart To Heart: Educating Allied Healthcare Students And Professionals About Heart Failure, Samantha M. Barefoot

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Heart failure (HF) is a health problem which providing necessary education to healthcare professionals who serve individuals with HF allows for continuity of care and the promotion of disease management for this population. The intent of this research was to determine if providing an educational in-service to allied healthcare students and practitioners increased their knowledge of OT’s role with HF clients and about HF itself as a condition interfering with occupation. The design of this study involved collecting pre/post survey data to evaluate the knowledge of the participants about the HF population and gathering participant satisfaction data regarding the in-service. …

Outcomes For Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd) Utilizing Adolescent Adaptive Life Skills Groups, Elizabeth A. Grant

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

This capstone project brings to our attention the importance of occupational therapy’s role in meeting the continued and ever changing service needs of individuals with ASD as they transition into adulthood. Adaptive life skill groups fill a gap in services for adolescents and support learning and performance of everyday occupations necessary for independent living. The purpose of this project was to determine if occupational therapy adolescent adaptive life skill groups are an effective method for improving adaptive life skill and maintaining that skill in individuals with ASD over time. This project provided insights into differences in assessment scores for participants …

Movement Opportunities Through Vestibular Engagement To Rhythm (Mover), Lindsay B. Williams

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Across the United States, school systems have decreased the amount of proprioceptive activities and vestibular-based movement opportunities within the school day to focus on academic skills and test score improvement (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010). Stemming from this curriculum modification, children’s free play and movement opportunities are being replaced by more sedentary experiences such as structured academic activities and screen time. As a result, elementary school students with attention deficits, especially those who have a history of prenatal drug exposure, are not receiving sufficient movement opportunities needed during the day to maximize their attention and to regulate …

Exploring Therapist Engagement Using Process Consultation, Rachel B. Spaide

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Purpose Although evidence supports that highly engaged colleagues result in better patient outcomes (Lowe, 2012; Studer, Hagins, & Cochrane, 2014), little is known about the impact of engaged occupational (OT), physical (PT), and speech (ST) therapists on patient outcomes (Mueller, Prins, & deHeer, 2018; Paulsen et al., 2014). This prospective cohort study examines the effect of a voluntary OT, PT and ST workgroup has on therapist engagement and outpatient-perceived quality services. The following research questions about the impact of process consultation within a volunteer therapist workgroup were asked: a) will engagement of all therapists improve as measured by the Utrecht …

The Role Of Evidence-Based Practice In Alzheimer's Disease And/Or Dementia, Laura Leigh Cole

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: As the aging population continues to grow, it is necessary to identify the most up to date and appropriate Evidenced Based Practice (EBP) treatment methods to ensure quality of life for adults in long term care settings. The rapid increase of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease with this population treated in skilled nursing facilities impacts understanding of and continued competency for occupational therapy practitioners in effectively evaluate and treat clients with cognitive deficits.

Purpose: To identify the frequency of use of standardized cognitive assessments in evaluation and treatment in long-term care facilities and skilled nursing facilities and to identify which …

Occupational Therapist-Led Parent Support Group Using An Occupational Therapy Approach, Sean Brim

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

This was an intervention research aimed at reducing stress levels of parents of children with disabilities is limited. The purpose of this study was to introduce an occupational therapy led pilot support group for parents who have a child with a disability and improve parent’s abilities to manage stress levels. This quantitative study utilized the Parental Stress Scale (PSS) to assess parental stress at baseline and upon completion of the four support group sessions. There were six participants in the support group meeting the inclusion criteria. The objective of this non-blinded study was to reduce stress for parents who have …

Use Of Self-Care Standardized Assessments In Occupational Therapy Skilled Nursing Home Practice, Courtney M. Green

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Understanding why occupational therapists select certain self-care standardized assessments within the skilled nursing setting is important to ensure outcomes are accurately measured. Consistent use of self-care standardized assessments can further support the utilization of occupational therapy services. Limited research is available to understand why occupational therapists use self-care standardized assessments in general as well as specifically within skilled nursing facilities (SNFs).

Purpose: The objective of this project is to discover the supports and barriers to utilizing self-care standardized assessments among occupational therapy practitioners who work within for-profit SNFs.

Theoretical Framework. Theoretical framework utilized to evaluate the intrinsic and extrinsic …

Understanding Therapists' Perceptions Of Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorders Using The Model Of Human Occupation Screening Tool, Jaimie K. Estreet

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Exploring occupational therapy (OT) practitioners’ competence when working with clients with co-occurring substance use disorders (SUD). Current literature demonstrates a gap regarding OT practice and SUD as a co-occurring diagnosis.

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study design is to illustrate and more fully understand the issue of OT evaluation and intervention for clients co-diagnosed with SUD, specifically using the Model of Human Occupation Screening Tool (MOHOST) (assessment) in multiple settings.

Theoretical Framework: The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF) and the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) is the framework and theoretical lens used to guide this project. …

Facilitating Early Engagement In Occupational Therapy In The Intensive Care Unit, Sarah Wright

MOT Student Capstones

Early rehabilitation for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) has been the topic of many current research studies. The efficacy of providing occupational therapy (OT) as part of the early rehabilitation/early engagement program has also been assessed, however many OT practitioners are not being utilized or viewed as an integral member of the interdisciplinary team. The purpose of this capstone project was to identify the main barriers that OTs face in the treatment of ICU patients through pre-survey; research current literature to identify solutions to the identified barriers; compile the research into a comprehensive document to present and disseminate …

Harnessing Nature For Occupational Therapy: Interventions And Health Promotion, Gina Ferra Kaplanis

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Literature is beginning to emerge which states that participation in natural environments can be restorative, provide much needed physical activity and assist with health promotion and prevention of illness. Theories such as Attention Restoration Theory (Kaplan, 1995) and Biophilia Hypothesis (Wilson, 1993) support the benefits for participation in natural outdoor environments. Health benefits of participation in nature including accessing Vitamin D, improving balance, attention restoration, reduced myopia, stress reduction are widely present in literature. Despite the health benefits of participation in nature, occupational therapists rarely complete interventions in the natural environment. Principles of adult learning and occupational adaptation were used …

Impact Of Shoulder Pathology On Individuals With Distal Radius Fracture: A Mixed Methods Study, Sarah Beth Doerrer

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this convergent parallel mixed methods study was to expand the understanding of the impact of shoulder pathology on individuals with distal radius fracture (DRF). This included describing the population that had shoulder pathology, comparing participants who had shoulder pathology with participants who did not, and exploring their experiences. The occupational adaptation model guided this study. Recruitment for this study included 45 patients post DRF. Each participant completed a short questionnaire after informed consent was obtained which asked demographic information such as age, gender, race, date of injury, and if the dominant hand was fractured. Over 9 weeks, …

Creating Confident And Connected Families: A Program To Improve Parental Self-Efficacy In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Kelly Simpson

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) require life sustaining intervention for weeks to months after birth. This intervention is remarkably stressful for both the infant, who is ill-equipped to handle life outside the womb, and for the parents who are filled with fear and stress due to the illness of their son or daughter. The experience of hospitalization can lead to stress, shame, anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress disorder for families of NICU infants. Knowledge about the unique stressors, challenges, and needs for support of preterm infants has proven helpful to boost confidence and feelings of wellbeing within …

Community-Based Occupational Therapy Practice Among Older Adults: A Delphi Study, Kristin Domville

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This capstone project explores the socio-political environment of current and potential community-based occupational therapy (OT) services among community-dwelling older adults, including the current state of community-based OT practice and the current awareness of OT’s potential impact on health and wellness among community-dwelling older adults. The goal is to identify how to increase the presence of OT in community settings to decrease the occupational injustice among the older adult population. The research method used is the Delphi Method, an anonymous structured communication between experts in the field of community-based OT practice and the older adult population. Experts, provided real-world knowledge and …

Occupational Therapy Practitioner Knowledge And Use Of Medicaid Home And Community Based Service Waivers, Alyssa Zaffos

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Medicaid Home and Community Based Service (HCBS) waivers have allowed adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to remain in the community rather than transition to institutionalization. HCBS waivers vary drastically from state to state limiting consistency in services offered to adults with IDD within the community. Majority of HCBS waivers offered to adults with IDD do not fund occupational therapy as a habilitative service due to a variety of reasons. Many adults with IDD are negatively impacted by not receiving necessary services. After preliminary research, it was noted that there is limited information regarding occupational therapy practitioner knowledge of …

Development Of A Caregiver Education Support Tool For Family Caregivers Of Older Adults With Dementia, Sarah Guariglia

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

For every person diagnosed with dementia, four family members are affected and burdened with providing care. Providing familial care is associated with greater psychological, social, and emotional burden on the caregiver. Caregivers are not provided with adequate education to support successful caregiving and aging in place. This capstone project developed and piloted a caregiver education support tool to simplify the process of finding caregiver education. Five caregivers participated in interviews to guide the development of the support tool, next completed the Likert questionnaire, and tested the caregiver education support tool. Four themes were identified: (1) burden, (2) loss, (3) unmet …

Occupation-Based Practice In Occupational Therapy, Sarah Psillas

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: The positive impact of occupation and well-being has been documented throughout the literature, however, the direct link of using occupation-based practice (OBP) and improvement of client outcomes has not been well established. This research study considered what OBP is, what the constructs are that comprise it, and how facilitators and barriers impact its use. Results: Results of this grounded theory study included four main constructs of occupation-based practice (actual occupation, meaningful and purposeful value, therapeutic intent, and engaged participation) as well as the theory of OccupationalTherapist’s Dynamic Use of Occupation-Based Practice. This theory explains the dynamic process that a …

Conflict Management In Occupational Therapy Education: Process Drama As A Teaching Strategy, Theresa Delbert, Tyson Schrader

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The stressful and demanding environment of a healthcare facility can lead to interpersonal conflict. As a result of working in these environments, occupational therapy students may experience such conflict during Level II fieldwork. Research has shown that effective conflict management is an important component of success on Level II fieldwork; however, occupational therapy students often self-report a lack of confidence, comfort, and competence with managing conflict. Forty Master of Occupational Therapy students took part in a 2-day conflict management workshop. The workshop consisted of didactic training of conflict management concepts; large group process drama activities that introduced relevant role-play concepts; …

Elevating Student Understanding: Irish Occupational Therapy Students’ Experience Of A Service Learning Project, Karen Mccarthy, Marian Mccarthy

Occupational Therapy | Faculty Scholarship

Service learning is a pedagogy that embraces learning in action and addresses community needs. Since the adoption of the Occupational Therapy Competencies in 2008 and the launch of national occupational therapist registration in Ireland in 2015, there has been limited research on the effectiveness of service learning pedagogies in Irish higher education for meeting core competencies. The majority of research focusing on evaluating service learning have been North American studies which brings to question the relevance of these service learning outcomes beyond North America and specifically Ireland. This qualitative study examined 11 occupational therapy students’ journal reflections, portfolio entries, and …