Master’s and Doctoral Occupational Therapy Students’ Perceptions of Research Integration in Their Programs

This is a pilot study with the intent of identifying occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) and master’s (MOT) students’ perceptions of research in their coursework. A cross-sectional study was conducted through a survey of OTD and MOT students. The Student Perception of Research Integration Questionnaire (SPRIQ) was emailed to graduate occupational therapy programs in the United States. An unpaired single tailed t-test was used to compare the mean scores between the MOT and OTD student responses for each scale and subscale. Two hundred and twenty-six students filled out the questionnaire. Both the OTD and MOT students had a favorable perception of the integration of research into the curriculum with a mean score of 3.63 (MOT) and 3.85 (OTD) out of five. An independent t-test found there was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores for two of the subscales for research integration (current research subscale p = .000 and motivation subscale p = .02) and for the beliefs scale (p = .002). Students enrolled in both MOT and OTD programs have a favorable perception of research being integrated into their curriculums. The OTD students have a more favorable perception of the integration of research in their curriculums, with a 0.30 mean difference between all items on the scale

Does laser therapy improve pain or pinch strength for thumb carpometacarpal joint osteoarthritis as an isolated treatment? A randomized controlled trial.

Objective: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic and prevalent joint disorder that greatly impacts quality of life and has a high economic burden on health resources. Although a number of conservative therapies have proven to be effective for the management of hand OA, only modest treatment effects were reported for most individual interventions. The aim of the proposed study is to assess the effect of laser therapy on pain and pinch strength in subjects with thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis (CMC OA) Materials and Methods: 43 patients, (mean ± SD age: 71 ±12 years; 57% female) with the diagnosis of CMC joint OA grade 1-2 were randomized to the control (n=21) or experimental (n=23) groups. The primary outcome measures were pain intensity [Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)], and the secondary outcome measure was key pinch strength (dynamometer). The experimental group received laser therapy and control group received a placebo treatment. All outcome measures were collected at baseline, immediately following the intervention at 4 weeks, and at 12 weeks following the intervention. Results: The experimental group evidenced a 2-point improvement VAS pain score following the treatment. There was a gain of 0.7 kg of pinch strength in the experimental group following the treatment. The effects of both pinch strength gains and pain reduction diminished by the 12 week follow up. Conclusions: High intensity laser therapy effectively decreases pain intensity when used as a isolated treatment for early CMC OA, but the effect of treatment decreases after 3 months.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Sexuality Within Occupational Therapy Education: Assessing Faculty and Student Perceived Competence

Sexuality is a valuable activity of daily living that contributes to an individual’s quality of life. Although sexuality can be addressed in occupational therapy practice, it is often overlooked due to a lack of time, comfort, and knowledge. For sexuality content to be fully incorporated into practice, it has been suggested that education will facilitate the inclusion of sexuality topics into occupational therapy practice. The purpose of this survey study was to assess occupational therapy faculty and students’ perceived competence with addressing sexuality, to determine the methods of sexuality education, and the time spent on the topic in occupational therapy curriculums. A piloted 13-question survey was electronically mailed to program directors of accredited occupational therapy programs in the United States for them to forward to their faculty and students. The survey was available for four weeks, with a reminder sent at the two-week mark. Data was collected from Qualtrics at the end of the response window and themed by the occupational therapy doctoral student and the faculty mentor. A majority of faculty felt competent addressing sexuality (76%) and a majority of students felt neutral (34%) about discussing sexuality with their future clients. The most frequently reported amount of time being spent on sexuality topic education was one to two hours (41%). A majority of respondents felt that sexuality is an essential topic and should be incorporated into occupational therapy curriculums further

Fracturas de dedos

13 páginas.Capítulo incluido en el libro: Terapia de mano basada en el razonamiento y la práctica clínica. Raquel Cantero Téllez (coord.). Sevilla: Universidad Internacional de Andalucía, 2020. ISBN 978-84-7993-361-6. Enlace: http://hdl.handle.net/10334/544

Survey of Pain Curriculum Among Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Programs in the United States

Occupational therapy practitioners address pain management across settings, populations, and the lifespan. Occupational therapy practitioners offer unique contributions to pain management through biopsychosocial approaches, targeting supported self-management and occupational engagement. Comprehensive pain education is necessary to prepare entry-level occupational therapy practitioners to address pain in practice, yet no standards exist in entry-level occupational therapy education. This survey describes the status of pain-related education in entry-level occupational therapy programs across the United States. A total of 41 entry-level occupational therapy programs completed the survey. Total instructional time for pain content was reported to be an average of 9.68 hours, ranging from 1 to 30 hours, indicating significant variability. Average lecture (4.88 hours) and lab-based (5.05 hours) time devoted to pain content were similar. More time was devoted to teaching pain interventions (4.91 hours) than pain assessments (2.82 hours). Most programs integrated pain content throughout the curriculum (73%). One program utilized a standardized pain curriculum (International Association for the Study of Pain Occupational Therapy Curriculum). Open-ended questions revealed a breadth of evidence-based resources, pain assessments, and interventions covering all domains of the biopsychosocial model of pain. The majority of faculty (61%) felt their current amount of pain education was insufficient, citing the need for increased time and educational activities for pain education across all program years. Given the essential and unique role of occupational therapy practitioners in pain management, improving pain education and practitioner competence is an important consideration across entry-level occupational therapy education. Further discussion is needed regarding educational standards and entry-level occupational therapy curricula relating to pain management

Factors Impacting Student Success in a Graduate Neuroscience Course

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceived factors that occupational and physical therapy graduate students believed led to success in a clinical neuroscience course. A cross-sectional survey design was utilized from a convenience sample of Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) and Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students. There were 76 (42%) responses collected, comprised of 62 (82%) OTD students and 14 (18%) DPT students. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze all survey results. Results indicated that success in a graduate neuroscience course may be supported with prior science coursework. Success in a graduate neuroscience course may be supported with additional resources such as a tutor, visuals, and other supplementary materials. Occupational therapy programs may consider supporting a neuroscience course with additional resources in order to facilitate student success

Exploring Anatomy Coursework and Perceptions of Occupational Therapy Students: A Survey Study

Occupational therapy practitioners utilize their knowledge of human anatomy to understand underlying anatomical dysfunction and how it impacts occupational performance. However, anatomy is not a required standalone course within occupational therapy curricula. This may leave students at a disadvantage throughout occupational therapy programs, fieldwork, and as practitioners. The primary purpose of this study was to explore graduate level occupational therapy students’ previous anatomy undergraduate coursework, student perceived preparedness of anatomical knowledge, and their performance in a mandatory Analysis of Human Movement course within our university’s occupational therapy graduate programs. The secondary purpose was to determine student interest in a standalone online anatomy review course if one were offered at the start of program matriculation. Participants (n=87) completed a 14-item survey regarding demographics, prior anatomy coursework, perceived preparedness, and academic performance in a mandatory Analysis of Human Movement course. Descriptive statistics and a Pearson’s correlation were conducted. Data analysis revealed statistically significant correlations among several variables including perceived preparedness, and whether students felt they would have benefited from and participated in an online anatomy review course. No statistically significant correlations were found between academic performance and any other variable. Data analysis also revealed that regardless of prior anatomy coursework, perceived preparedness, and academic performance almost all participants (n=80; 92%) indicated that they would have benefited from and participated in an online anatomy review course. Though continued research is warranted, occupational therapy programs may consider the implementation of a standalone anatomy course to promote students’ academic and clinical success

Potentials for emission reduction and value creation in the rehabilitation of existing building stock using input-output analysis

Given that most of the world’s building stock for the next 30 years already exists today, renovation of existing buildings and infrastructure represent an important pathway towards a more sustainable future. The aim of this paper was twofold: 1) to evaluate potentials for waste reduction, efficient resource utilization, economic advantages and GHG emission reduction in rehabilitation in comparison with building new, 2) demonstrate the usefulness of input-output analysis in evaluation of value creation and employment potential, and environmental effects of changes in the building stock. A macroeconomic, input-output model developed by SINTEF is used in a methodology to make comparative assessments on future scenarios on building and renovation strategies. Preliminary results show how the strategies analysed provide pros and cons when different macroeconomic indicators (value added, GHG emissions, energy efficiency) are considered. Future works will improve technical data and macroeconomic assumptions, as integrate policy analysis into the methodology.publishedVersio

Procedimientos quirúrgicos de los miembros de la Sociedad Española de Cirugía de la Mano (SECMA) para la artrosis trapecio-metacarpiana: Un examen de las tendencias de la práctica clínica actual

Objetivo El objetivo principal de este estudio fue determinar los diferentes enfoques terapéuticos empleados en la práctica clínica habitual entre los cirujanos de mano en España en el abordaje de la artrosis trapecio-metacarpiana (TMC). Material y Método Se desarrolló una encuesta de 15 ítems para determinar los patrones terapéuticos en la práctica clínica de los cirujanos de mano en España que tratan la artrosis TMC. Esa prueba piloto se distribuyó a través de un servicio de encuestas en línea profesional (SurveyMonkey). Resultados El 94% de los cirujanos de mano en España se basan en la intensidad de dolor referida por el paciente para tomar una decisión quirúrgica. El 75% los inmoviliza durante un periodo de 3 semanas tras la cirugía y solo el 36% de los encuestados evalúa la intensidad de dolor después de la cirugía. Conclusiones Esa encuesta proporciona datos valiosos en relación con los patrones terapéuticos de la práctica clínica actual en el tratamiento quirúrgico de la artrosis TMC en los cirujanos de mano españoles. Nivel de Evidencia Nivel V

Analyzing the effects of a dynamic or static orthosis after radical nerve injury using the Nine-Hole Peg Test

Objective: The radial nerve is a commonly injured upper extremity peripheral nerve. The inability to extend the wrist results in the loss of hand function and dexterity that affects patients' ability to perform their activities of daily living. There is not strong evidence to support orthosis efficacy to improve dexterity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a static or dynamic orthosis resulted in improved hand dexterity when assessed with the 9-HPT after radial nerve injury. Materials and Methods: Twenty three participants who suffered radial nerve palsy participated in the study. The test was repeated three times for each participant, first without the orthosis, and then wearing the static orthosis, and finally wearing the dynamic orthosis. The 9-HPT was used as the outcome measure. Results: The distribution of the 9-HPT times (sec) was of 35.7 ±4.9 without a wrist orthoses, and decreased with the use of the static and the dynamic orthoses to 33.7 ±4.8 (P<0.01) and 24.6 ±2.6) (P<0.01) respectively. Conclusions: The use of a dynamic orthosis after radial nerve palsy can provide the patient with greater manual dexterity when compared to the use of a static orthosis.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech