Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Occupational Therapy Student Readiness For Transition To The Fieldwork Environment: A Pilot Case Study, Pamela Karp

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The classroom and the field represent diverse and unique teaching and learning environments that students are required to navigate successfully. Facilitating student success in these environments requires the efforts of educators and the students themselves. This qualitative pilot study sought to elucidate perspectives regarding student readiness from the viewpoint of occupational therapy academic and fieldwork educators. Data for the study was collected from interviews and a focus group. The results of the study revealed that academic and fieldwork educators value similar characteristics of student readiness for transition to fieldwork. However, there is a need for collaborative strategies between the academic …

Clients’ Perspectives Of Spirituality In Occupational Therapy: A Retrospective Study, Barbara E. Milliken

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: While occupational therapy (OT) identifies itself as a holistic profession, there is little guidance in the literature and in academia to assist practitioners in addressing spirituality. An assignment was developed to provide a platform for occupational therapy assistant students to explicitly screen for clients’ perspectives of spiritual occupations. This paper summarizes the client responses to that assignment.

Method: Occupational therapy assistant students in a Midwestern community college conducted a 5-question spirituality screening in the context of their Level I and Level II fieldwork placements. While this exercise began as a student assignment, the value of the client …

Occupational Therapy In Integrated Primary Care: Addressing The Needs Of Individuals Experiencing Homelessness, Caitlin E. Synovec, Marybeth Merryman, Josh Brusca

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Current health care policy supports occupational therapy services with individuals experiencing homelessness in primary care settings. Research on the impact of interventions is needed to support this emerging practice area.

Method: A retrospective, descriptive study was completed following the initiation of full-time occupational therapy services in an integrated primary setting and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) for clients experiencing homelessness. This study evaluated: (a) percentage of referred clients who engaged in ongoing intervention; (b) diagnostic demographics of those referred; (c) functional goal types and frequency; (d) a comparison of preintervention Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) scores with postintervention …

Case Report: Optimizing Daily Function For People With Below-Elbow Limb Deficiency With The Softhand Pro, Amanda Theuer, Sasha Blue Godfrey, Kristin Zhao, Ryan Breighner, Manuel Catalano, Marco Santello, Antonio Bicchi, Karen L. Andrews

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Innovation in prosthetic devices for adults with upper limb loss is necessary to meet the demand for effective devices to optimize participation in daily activity. We evaluate the SoftHand Pro (SHP) as a terminal device to determine the application of this biologically-inspired prosthetic hand for use for a person with transradial limb deficiency.

Method: This case study describes and measures the first use of the SHP by an individual with transradial limb deficiency in their home environment. This paper reports the features and functionality of the SHP prototype and provides recommendations for changes to further optimize function. …

Concussion-Related Vision Disorder Practice Patterns In Occupational Therapy: A Survey, Alicia Reiser, Greta Bunin, Mitchell Scheiman

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Occupational therapists are among the first providers to initiate care after a concussion; however, evidence is limited regarding current concussion-related vision disorder practice patterns. A better understanding of these practice patterns is important because of the impact of undetected and untreated vision problems on occupational performance.

Method: A mixed-methods survey was administered online to occupational therapists to explore the assessments and interventions used to address concussion-related vision disorders, occupational therapy’s perceived role, and difficulties encountered when treating these conditions.

Results: Of 23,910 occupational therapists invited to participate, 2,278 (10%) began the survey, and 1,187 (52%) met …

Exploring Associations Between Health Literacy And Visual Impairment In Older Adults With Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Amd), Jennifer Fortuna

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss for Americans 65 years of age and older. Central vision loss makes reading challenging. Health literacy assessments that measure skills in basic literacy are often too demanding for people with AMD. The impact of central vision loss on functional health literacy has yet to be explored in the literature.

Methods: A between-subjects study design was employed to explore associations between functional health literacy and visual acuity in older adults with AMD. The Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S-TOFHLA) was used to measure health …

Transition In Occupations Of Refugees During Resettlement, Karen Mccarthy, Jacqueline-Elizabeth Cantrell, Jennifer Daine, Kimberley Keagan Banuelos, Adam Chan

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Human displacement is a social problem that has occupational implications. There is a significant gap in the research focusing on the refugee experience and the impact of this experience on their occupations as they transition to living in the US. This study seeks to capture the experience of refugees and the impact of this transition to the US on a broad array of occupations.

Method: This research is a qualitative study. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with two participants who have legal status as refugees living in the US.

Results: Thematic analysis generated three themes: …

Applying The Model Of Human Occupation During The Pandemic Stay-At-Home Order, Tiffany T. Lin, Gail Fisher

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

Doing It Right: Ot Meeting Population Needs With Covid-19, Amanda Balser, Shirley P. O'Brien, Peggy Wittman

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

Occupational Therapy In The Time Of Covid-19, Diane Powers Dirette

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

An Unexpected Outcome Of A Pediatric Simulation Encounter For Occupational Therapy Students., Anne H. Zachry, K. Booker, S. B. Lancaster

Faculty Presentations

This presentation reviewed how to plan and implement a pediatric simulated educational experience to align with the targeted course learning objective(s). Participants learned how to incorporate best practices into simulation education in order to advance occupational therapy education.

The Teaching And Evaluation Of Professionalism For Dpt Students During The Clinical Education Experience, Bruce N. Elliott

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this comparative study was to investigate the reports of clinical instructors (CIs) and Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students from two different physical therapy programs in New England regarding their opinions on the teaching and evaluative techniques of professionalism during a clinical education rotation. One program emphasized professionalism prior to the students beginning their clinical rotations, while the other program did not have the same emphasis.

Methods: Three items from the professional practice section of the Clinical Performance Instrument (CPI) (accountability, communication, and professional behavior), were utilized to create the conceptual framework around which the …

Clinical Educators’ Perceptions Of Students Following A Simulation-Based Learning Program, Sally Hewat, Joanne Walters, Emma Caird, Danielle Aldridge, Adriana Penman, Elizabeth Cardell, Rachel Davenport, Bronwyn Davidson, Simone Howells, Patricia Mccabe, Alison Purcell, Elizabeth Ward, Anne E. Hill

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Purpose: Clinical education is a key component of speech-language pathology university curriculum, whereby students have the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge and practical skills learned in the classroom into a real workplace. However, more recently the availability of high quality, consistent clinical placements and learning experiences across the range of practice areas in the discipline is reducing. Therefore, alternative clinical learning opportunities that enable students to develop skills and competencies are being explored. Recently, replacing clinical time with a simulated learning program has been shown to achieve equivalent levels of clinical competency in speech pathology. However, it is unknown how …

Clinical Simulations In Academic Courses: Four Case Studies Across The Medical Slp Graduate Curriculum, Amanda Stead, Rik Lemoncello, Caitlin Fitzgerald, Melissa Fryer, Marcia Frost, Rachael Palmer

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Simulation practices are growing in both popularity and necessity within speech pathology programs. Simulation use can serve to not only minimize client risk but to increase student confidence and competence prior to patient contact, particularly with low incidence or medically fragile patients. This paper describes and reflects on four individual simulation experiences within one graduate speech language pathology program and their outcomes. The use of both simulated patients and mannequin training resulted in an increase in students' perception of knowledge and confidence in their clinical skills with medical patients.

A Survey Of Internal And Family Medicine Residents: Assessment Of Disability-Specific Education And Knowledge., Michael D Stillman, Nethra Ankam, Michael Mallow, Maclain Capron, Steve Williams

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The literature suggests that primary care physicians are inadequately educated in the care of people with disabilities. No study to date has evaluated whether internal medicine (IM) and family medicine (FM) residents have received disability-specific education or their level of comfort in caring for people with physical disabilities.

OBJECTIVES: To assess IM and FM residents' receipt of disability-specific education during medical school and residency; to evaluate their self-reported comfort in managing secondary conditions associated with physical disabilities and in coordinating therapies and services for individuals with disabilities; to gauge their interest in receiving disability-specific education.

METHODS: An on-line survey …

Functional Performance In People With Parkinson’S Disease: Lsvt Big For Life®, Mark Blanchard, Barbara Doucet, Cassidy Perilloux, Tamara Marchetta, Darian Price, Ashley Pattison, Galla Bonanni, Baily Amedee

Journal of Interprofessional Practice and Collaboration

This study aimed to observe the effects that an LSVT BIG for LIFE^® program had on functional performance and overall health related quality of life. Method. Seven participants with Parkinson’s disease participated in onsite LSVT BIG for LIFE sessions throughout a 40-week program. Each session included the completion of seven LSVT BIG^® exercises, one functional component task (sit to stand), a mindfulness activity, and a functional activity. Seven standardized assessments including the Box and Blocks Test (BBT), Falls Efficacy Scale (FES), Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39), Patient Specific Functional Scale (PSFS), Physical Performance Test (PPT), Timed Up and Go …

Une Revue Des Méthodes D’Évaluation De La Rentabilité De La Prévention Des Lésions Professionnelles, Martin Lebeau

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les lésions professionnelles entraînent des coûts élevés qui sont assumés par l’ensemble des acteurs économiques de la société (travailleurs, employeurs, assureurs, collectivité). L’investissement dans la prévention des lésions professionnelles peut permettre d’en réduire l’ampleur. Toutefois, l’investissement en vaut-il toujours le coût? Et comment peut-on estimer la rentabilité d’un investissement en prévention?

Cette étude s’inscrit dans la volonté institutionnelle de développer des connaissances et des outils en lien avec le calcul de la rentabilité des investissements en prévention des lésions professionnelles dans les entreprises.

Une recension des plus récentes études sur le sujet, publiées entre 1995 et 2017, a permis de …

Using The Integrated Developmental Model Of Supervision In A Vocational Counseling Setting, Viviana Garza

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

This paper proposes a concept of supervision at a vocational counseling setting. Using the Integrated Developmental Model with triadic supervision for trainees employed at YGS Placement Service agency will facilitate client welfare and counselor in training development. Along with supervision comes evaluating and assessing trainees' competence. Using the Counseling Competency Scale, the Supervisee Levels Questionnaire-Revised, and reflective journaling will benefit the supervision experience. Determining the level of development of trainees using the integrated development model is the first step to organize and plan the supervision meetings.

Doing It Right: Ot Meeting Population Needs With Covid-19, Amanda Balser, Shirley O'Brien, Peggy Wittman

Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy Faculty and Staff Research

In 2010, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) identified strategic goals for health promotion and disease prevention in Healthy People 2020. Some of the overarching goals were to “achieve health equity, eliminate disparities, and improve the health of all groups” in order to address inequities tied to race and ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, geography, and disability (p. 3). The plan also targeted health disparities by recognizing social determinants of health and creating “social and physical environments that promote good health,” including the development of policy and programs (HHS, 2010, p. 3). Health disparities are population specific and …

A Consensus Guide To Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy In Posture And Gait Research, Jasmine C. Menant, Inbal Maidan, Lisa Alcock, Emad Al-Yahya, Antonio Cerasa, David J. Clark, Eling D. De Bruin, Sarah Fraser, Vera Gramigna, Dennis Hamacher, Fabian Herold, Roee Holtzer, Meltem Izzetoglu, Shannon Lim, Annette Pantall, Paulo Pelicioni, Sue Peters, Andrea L. Rosso, Rebecca St George, Samuel Stuart, Roberta Vasta, Rodrigo Vitorio, Anat Mirelman

Physical Therapy Publications

Background: Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is increasingly used in the field of posture and gait to investigate patterns of cortical brain activation while people move freely. fNIRS methods, analysis and reporting of data vary greatly across studies which in turn can limit the replication of research, interpretation of findings and comparison across works.

Research question and methods: Considering these issues, we propose a set of practical recommendations for the conduct and reporting of fNIRS studies in posture and gait, acknowledging specific challenges related to clinical groups with posture and gait disorders.

Results: Our paper is organized around three main sections: …