Occupational Therapy Commons^™

Minimal Clinical Important Difference Of The Quick Disabilities Of The Arm, Shoulder, And Hand (Quickdash) For Post-Surgical Finger Phalanx Fractures, E. Smith-Forbes, Dana Howell, J. Willoughby, G. Pitts, T. Uhl

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Purpose: STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective, multiple-group observational design.

Objective: To determine the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QuickDASH) outcome measure, for post-surgical phalanx fracture diagnosis, using a triangulation of distribution-and-anchor-based approaches.

Background: The MCID for the QuickDASH has been established using a pool of multiple conditions, and specifically for the shoulder, and other diagnoses in the elbow and wrist, but not for post-surgical finger fracture. Understanding specific threshold change values for post-surgical finger fracture can enhance the clinical decision-making process.

Development Of A Concussion Pathway In Acute Care., Katharine Bell Ms, Otr/L, Cbis, Alisha Unternahrer Ms, Otr/L

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Movement Without Boundaries, Jennifer Fortuna

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Johnson Simon, an artist based in West Palm Beach, FL, provided the cover art for the Fall 2017 edition of The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy (OJOT). “Dancing in Motion” is a 36” x 60” painting made from acrylic on canvas. Johnson always wanted to become a dancer. He was born with cerebral palsy, and therefore physical limitations make it difficult for Johnson to coordinate his body movements. Through use of vibrant colors and bold strokes, Johnson’s expressionist paintings evoke movement and motion. Occupational therapy helped Johnson discover his artistic abilities. Painting empowered him to move without limitations.

Overview Of Instructional Technology Used In The Education Of Occupational Therapy Students: A Survey Study, Bryan M. Gee, Lisa Salazar, Jessica Porter, Camiel Clark, Theodore W. Peterson

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The purpose of this study was to explore the type of instructional technology (IT) master’s degree level occupational therapy educational programs routinely use as a part of their lecture- and laboratory-based instruction. Surveying the administrators of 121 graduate occupational therapy programs in the United States, we found that the majority of the respondents identified their program as using IT in some form for lecture-based courses, with less inclusion of IT for laboratory-based courses. Hybrid instruction, with the majority of the content being delivered face-to-face and the remainder via online, were the trends among the respondents. The findings also indicated that …

Perceptions Of Occupational Therapy Students And Faculty Of Compressed Courses: A Pilot Study, Martina G. Allen, Mary Voytek

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

As occupational therapists, our mandate is to be client centered, yet in academic settings there is little information regarding student or faculty preferences about curriculum and course design. This study investigated the perceptions of occupational therapy students and faculty regarding the delivery of content in a compressed course format, thus reducing the number of courses taken at any given time. The authors discuss how the results inform the feasibility of incorporating this format into future curriculum design. A descriptive survey design was used for this study. The participants were 33 entry-level graduate students and two faculty who completed post-course surveys …

Occupational Therapy Students In Norway: Do Their Approaches To Studying Vary By Year In The Program?, Tore Bonsaksen, Mikkel M. Thørrisen, Talieh Sadeghi

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Approaches to studying may be influenced by students’ age, maturity, and experience in higher education. Students’ approaches to studying may develop toward deep and/or strategic approaches and away from a surface approach as they move through the curriculum, which is generally considered a positive development. This study aimed to identify differences in approaches to studying among first-, second-, and third-year students enrolled in an occupational therapy program. Three cohorts of students (n = 160) from one university college completed the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) along with sociodemographic information. One-way analyses of variance were used to …

Educating Occupational Therapists In The Use Of Theory And Evidence To Enhance Supervision Practice, Melanie J. Roberts, Deborah Fitzgerald, Matthew Molineux

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

This paper describes the implementation of a unique learning experience aimed at enhancing the quality of supervision practice in occupational therapy at the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service. The package was designed by experienced occupational therapy educators based on adult, blended, and flipped learning approaches with content developed following administration of a standardized tool and semi-structured interviews. The learning package focused particularly on the logistics of supervision and the use of occupational therapy theory and evidence with supervision. The training for supervising therapists included a workshop and pre and post workshop learning activities. This collaborative research approach to designing …

Passing The Nbcot Examination: Preadmission, Academic, And Fieldwork Factors, Sharon D. Novalis, Jill M. Cyranowski, Cathy D. Dolhi

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

All occupational therapy students are required to successfully complete the certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) before they can practice independently. The need to repeat the examination can result in stress, anxiety, and financial hardship. This paper explores the relationship of preadmission factors, academic and fieldwork performance, and demographic variables to successful first-time attempts on the certification examination for occupational therapists. Data were gathered from 144 student files in a Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) Program at a single university. Of the sample, 82% passed and 18% failed their first NBCOT test trial. …

Art In Occupational Therapy Education: An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study Of An Arts-Based Module, Susan Coppola, Adrienne F. Miao, Carolyn Allmendinger, Wanqing Zhang

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Art-based learning experiences have demonstrated a range of benefits, including improved observation skills and perspective taking. This article describes the effects of an art-based module in an entry-level curriculum for occupational therapy (OT) students. An exploratory pilot study investigated the feasibility of a group-administered visual art-based module for 20 first-year OT graduate students. Outcomes were evaluated using a mixed-methods approach that combined pre-post quantitative results from survey questionnaires and qualitative reflective essays. Pre- and post-surveys revealed significant changes in the students’ perception regarding the benefits of art in OT curricula. The students’ reflective essays on their learning described art-based sessions …

Master’S Of Occupational Therapy Student Perceptions Of Creative Thinking Across The Academic Program, Angela K. Boisselle, Mary F. Baxter

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

This study was part of a larger study to describe how master’s of occupational therapy (MOT) students define and perceive their own creative thinking across the academic program. This study involved a cross-sectional quantitative study based on the self-reflective creative thinking surveys completed by the MOT students at Texas Woman’s University (N = 136). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to reduce a large number of variables by finding which variables are redundant and measuring the same construct. The PCA resulted in three new components accounting for 68% of the variance. Three ANOVAs were conducted to explore possible differences in …

An Examination Of The Association Of Social Media Use With The Satisfaction With Daily Routines And Healthy Lifestyle Habits For Undergraduate And Graduate Students, Melanie Austin-Mccain

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Social media use has become an integral daily occupation of college and graduate students. In the United States, 90% of adults aged 18 to 29 years use social media (Pew Internet, 2015). Positive and negative data has been found which examined associations between social media use and other daily occupations (activities) that impact emotional and physical health. The purpose of this study is to examine the association of social media use with the satisfaction of daily routines and healthy lifestyle habits for undergraduate and graduate students.

Method: Undergraduate and graduate students responded to survey questions regarding their …

Joint Attention And Occupations For Children And Families Living With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Scoping Review, Verna G. Eschenfelder, Christina M. Gavalas

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Research reports that children living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may demonstrate deficits in social, emotional, behavioral, and communication skills, which adversely affect social participation and occupational engagement. Joint attention skills constitute any nonverbal communication that captures the attention of another to create a shared interactional experience. The components of joint attention can be targeted through intervention to promote occupational engagement in childhood co-occupations.

Methods: A scoping review process was applied in the current study. Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria to be analyzed through critical appraisal of topics and use of a matrix.

Results: Evidence indicates that joint …

Development Of The Daily Living Questionnaire (Dlq): A Factor Analysis Study, Sara Rosenblum, Naomi Josman, Joan Toglia

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Performance of daily activities and participation in life events involves higher-level cognitive abilities. The purpose of this study was to develop a self-report scale for detecting everyday difficulties in activities/participation tied with higher-level cognitive deficiency and to examine its reliability and validity.

Method: The Daily Living Questionnaire’s (DLQ) content and face validity were established. Internal consistency following an exploratory factor analysis, as well as construct validity, were initiated with a convenience sample of 194 healthy adults, aged 18 to 85 years, and 34 adults diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Results: The four factors received in Part A, activities and …

Association Between Sensory Processing By Children With High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder And Their Daily Routines, Tsameret Ricon, Rachel Sorek, Batya Engel Yeger

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder exhibit persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction accompanied by restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. Those with normal intelligence are considered to have high functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD).

Method: The study participants were 20 children with HFASD aged 5 to 7 years old attending mainstream educational programs and their parents (study group) and 30 typically-developing age-matched children from the same socio-economic background and their parents (control group). Parents from both groups completed the Short Sensory Profile to investigate their children’s sensory processing and the presence of …

Psychometric Properties Of The Make My Day Tool To Assess Perceived Performance Of Children’S Daily Activities, Liron Or, Tsameret Ricon

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: No instrument with strong psychometric qualities exists to measure occupational performance in young children through child-reporting. We investigated the reliability and validity of the Make My Day (MMD) tool for children aged 4 to 7 years and their parents.

Method: We administered a demographic questionnaire, the MMD, and two other tools having similar objectives to a sample of 75 typically-developing Jewish-Israeli children aged 4 to 7 years and their parents. For internal consistency, we pooled the data with those from our earlier study involving 62 typically-developing Arab-Israeli children.

Results: The MMD exhibited acceptable to good internal …

Cultivating New Ideas And Solutions In The Occupational Therapy Profession By Fostering Divergent Thinking, Diane Powers Dirette

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Abilities Care Approach™ Training, Michelle E. D'Amato, Sophie E. Miller, April Perez, Carmen Joaquin, Louiza Alexandria Villarina

Student Research Posters

Approximately 50% of US nursing home residents have a diagnosis of dementia. Abilities Care Approach® was created by occupational therapists (OTs) to promote quality dementia care for residents in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are often the primary caregiver for residents with dementia. To ensure carryover of ACA principles, ACE dementia training was targeted towards CNAs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate Abilities Care Experts®(ACE) training program which provides CNAs with an occupation-based dementia care approach by focusing on the importance of occupational engagement and knowledge of dementia stages. Results indicated that ACE trained CNAs …

Music As A Modality To Improve Function And Participation In Occupational Therapy Services For Individual's With Alzheimer's-Dementia In Skilled Nursing Facilities, Courtney Denson

MOT Student Capstones

Currently, there is little research to support the positive effects on the use of music with individuals suffering from Alzheimer's-Dementia. For individuals with Alzheimer's-Dementia, further research is needed to explore treatment options appropriate for promoting occupational performance, and positive outcomes with participation in occupational therapy services. The following Capstone project will elaborate on an experimental study that identifies the benefits of utilizing a Music As a Modality program for individuals residing in a suburban area skilled nursing facility (SNF) that have the diagnosis of Alzheimer's-Dementia. Research completed throughout this project will help to support the need for use of music …

Occupations As An Outcome Measure In A Clinical Trial: Fragile X Syndrome And Sertraline, Michelle Beckwith, Brina Nguyen, Jennifer Sik, Kenneth Yu, Laura Greiss Hess

Student Research Posters

Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is the most common form of inherited intellectual and developmental disability, and a known genetic cause of autism. Individuals with FXS present with deficits in cognition, social skills, behavior, language and sensory processing skills; all of which are commonly assessed through standardized and norm-referenced assessments. However, these outcome measures are sometimes not sensitive to contextually based changes in daily life. Further, there is limited research employing qualitative methods in the FXS literature. The purpose of this research was to examine family perspectives collected via semi-structured interviews as part of a randomized controlled medication trial of sertraline …

Fall Risk Reduction Using Lifestyle-Integrated Functional Exercise (Life), Kayla Comer, Tiffany Huang, Kelly Schmidt, Matthew Tong

Student Research Posters

As the population and longevity of older adults’ increases, the prevalence of falls is becoming an ever-growing issue. One in three adults aged 65 years and older experience a fall each year. Falls in older adults may lead to sedentary behavior, decreased independence, and lower quality of life. Evidence has shown that traditional exercise programs emphasizing strength and balance exercises can decrease the fall risk in older adults, but may be difficult to sustain over time. Emerging evidence suggests that exercises that are integrated into daily life may have a more lasting effect in reducing fall risk in older adults. …