Physical therapy Consultation in the Emergency Department For Older adults With Falls: a Qualitative Study

OBJECTIVES: Little is known about current practices in consulting physical therapy (PT) in the emergency department (ED) for older adults with falls, a practice that can reduce fall-related ED revisits. This qualitative study aimed to understand perspectives of ED staff about ED PT consultation for older adults with falls and fall-related complaints, specifically regarding perceived value and associated challenges and strategies. METHODS: We performed focus groups and key informant interviews with emergency physicians, advanced practice clinicians, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and technicians who perform ED geriatric screenings. We used rapid qualitative analysis to identify common themes related to decisions to consult PT from the ED, perceived value of PT, and common challenges and strategies in ED PT consultation. RESULTS: Twenty-five participants in 4 focus groups and 3 interviews represented 22 distinct institutions with ED PT consultation available for older adults with falls. About two thirds of EDs represented relied on clinician gestalt to request PT consultation (n = 15, 68%), whereas one third used formal consultation pathways (n = 7, 32%). Participants valued physical therapists\u27 expertise, time, and facilitation of hospital throughput by developing safe discharge plans and contact with patients to improve outpatient follow-up. Common challenges included limited ED PT staffing and space for PT evaluations; strategies to promote ED PT consultation included advocating for leadership buy-in and using ED observation units to monitor patients and avoid admission until PT consultation was available. CONCLUSION: ED PT consultation for older adults with falls may benefit patients, ED staff, and hospital throughput. Uncertainty remains over whether geriatric screening-triggered consultation versus emergency clinician gestalt successfully identifies patients likeliest to benefit from ED PT evaluation. Leadership buy-in, designated consultation space, and formalized consultation pathways are strategies to address current challenges in ED PT consultation

Barriers to Predicting the Mechanisms and Risk Factors of Non-Contact Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

High incidences of non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, frequent requirements for ACL reconstruction, and limited understanding of ACL mechanics have engendered considerable interest in quantifying the ACL loading mechanisms. Although some progress has been made to better understand non-contact ACL injuries, information on how and why non-contact ACL injuries occur is still largely unavailable. In other words, research is yet to yield consensus on injury mechanisms and risk factors. Biomechanics, video analysis, and related study approaches have elucidated to some extent how ACL injuries occur. However, these approaches are limited because they provide estimates, rather than precise measurements of knee - and more specifically ACL - kinematics at the time of injury. These study approaches are also limited in their inability to simultaneously capture many of the contributing factors to injury

Chelsea Quatman's classroom website : (www.mrszehr.com) : compatible with the Firefox browser : [an honors thesis] (HONRS 499)

The field of education, along with most other fields in the workforce, has been largely affected by recent developments in technology. The prevalence of the Internet in homes, as well as in the classroom, has made technology a valuable resource in all areas of education. With email and accessible ways to create and publish websites, the Internet offers many ways for teachers to communicate with their students, as well as the parents of their students. Yet, many teachers and parents do not often utilize the Internet as a communication tool. I created a classroom website with an original design and content that I will be able to use in my own classroom as a professional educator. The website contains pages for both students and parents with, school and classroom information, homework schedules, announcements, class rules and expectations, information about the teacher, and links to helpful Internet resources.Thesis (B.?.)Honors Colleg

Physical therapy consultation in the emergency department for older adults with falls: A qualitative study

Abstract Objectives Little is known about current practices in consulting physical therapy (PT) in the emergency department (ED) for older adults with falls, a practice that can reduce fall‐related ED revisits. This qualitative study aimed to understand perspectives of ED staff about ED PT consultation for older adults with falls and fall‐related complaints, specifically regarding perceived value and associated challenges and strategies. Methods We performed focus groups and key informant interviews with emergency physicians, advanced practice clinicians, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and technicians who perform ED geriatric screenings. We used rapid qualitative analysis to identify common themes related to decisions to consult PT from the ED, perceived value of PT, and common challenges and strategies in ED PT consultation. Results Twenty‐five participants in 4 focus groups and 3 interviews represented 22 distinct institutions with ED PT consultation available for older adults with falls. About two thirds of EDs represented relied on clinician gestalt to request PT consultation (n = 15, 68%), whereas one third used formal consultation pathways (n = 7, 32%). Participants valued physical therapists’ expertise, time, and facilitation of hospital throughput by developing safe discharge plans and contact with patients to improve outpatient follow‐up. Common challenges included limited ED PT staffing and space for PT evaluations; strategies to promote ED PT consultation included advocating for leadership buy‐in and using ED observation units to monitor patients and avoid admission until PT consultation was available. Conclusion ED PT consultation for older adults with falls may benefit patients, ED staff, and hospital throughput. Uncertainty remains over whether geriatric screening‐triggered consultation versus emergency clinician gestalt successfully identifies patients likeliest to benefit from ED PT evaluation. Leadership buy‐in, designated consultation space, and formalized consultation pathways are strategies to address current challenges in ED PT consultation