Purpose: In the context of training health professionals in Switzerland in evidence-based practice, the preconceptions of active researchers might be playing a major role in the development of research methodologies within allied health and nursing professions (AHNP). The objective of this study was to identify the preconceptions (understanding of the meaning of clinical research...
Purpose: Restoration of gait in stroke survivors is a major goal in rehabilitation. Recently, treadmill training has been introduced as a measure to improve the post stroke gait pattern, but there is still limited data on the use of the cycle ergometer. The primary aim was to compare selected gait parameters of hemiplegics subjects who received cycle ergometry and those who had...
Allied health education has changed dramatically over the last ten years with many new educational program faculty drawn to the academy. This recent academic evolution is driving the need for allied health educators to become well versed in content-specific applied pedagogy. This article will briefly explore contemporary teaching techniques relevant to today’s allied health...
Brief cognitive-behavioral intervention (CBI) was conducted in the emergency room (ER). The current literature on biomedical and psychological risk factors of migraine is reviewed briefly including studies demonstrating the effectiveness of CBI with such patients. The case study portrays CBI that assists a patient suffering from severe migraine attack. We cautiously proposed that...
By Susan P. Denham, Published on 04/01/10
Purpose: Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) accounts for 7-9% of all congenital heart diseases. It is fatal unless surgically corrected. Survival has improved overtime. However, neurodevelopmental outcomes have not been known until recently. This paper discusses the neurodevelopmental outcomes of patients with HLHS and the factors that influence these outcomes. Methods: A...
Background: Shoulder disorders affect up to 67% of the adult population at some point in their lifetime. The shoulder complex ranks third, trailing low back and neck pain, in musculoskeletal disorders for which individuals seek physical rehabilitation. The assessment of shoulder stability is an integral component of the patient examination, as it may assist the clinician in...
Sports injuries are one of the most common injuries in modern society. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is commonly injured in sports. Soccer is one of many sports where an ACL injury is likely to occur, due to inherent jumping and pivoting during participation. Abnormal movement patterns have been suggested as a risk factor for knee injuries, which lead to the development of...
Purpose: Physical activity is well known to improve or maintain exercise capacity and overall health in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). However, many patients do not meet recommended guidelines for physical activity. The purpose of this study was to determine if individualized, targeted coaching could improve the levels of physical activity and quality of life in children and...
In 1965, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of ipecac for over-the-counter sale. For years, ipecac remained on the list of “must have” items for households with small children. Typically, Ipecac was used to administer an emetic quickly before reaching the emergency room or to prevent the patient from having to be referred to a medical facility. In 2004, new...
Purpose: The aim of the current investigation was to compare and contrast societal perceptions and attitudes towards men in nursing as reported by male and female nursing and non-nursing university students. Methods: A comparative study design was employed to investigate societal attitudes and perceptions towards male nurses enrolled in school of nursing in a mid-sized university...
By Cindy LaPorte, Published on 01/01/10
Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to pilot the use of and explore the feasibility of an individualized professional learning plan (PLP) designed to guide the continuing education of athletic trainers (AT) based on their individual learning needs and explore the participants’ perceptions of its usefulness and feasibility. Method: A sample of 18 ATs (11 males and 7...
A representative, cross-sectional clinical skills assessment of 163 mid-level, rural-based, government health care workers was conducted in four districts of Nepal in June 2007. All Health Assistants and Auxiliary Healthcare Workers within the target districts were scored using checklists of standardized key skills in clinical encounters with model patients or clinical models...
Objective: To identify factors influencing the retention of physiotherapists in one regional setting. Design: A qualitative framework using semi-structured interviews was used to collect data. Data were evaluated using thematic analysis. Setting: A regional city located on the coastline of Queensland, Australia, more than six hours drive from the capital city, Brisbane...
Though physical therapist consultation has been described as a means of enhancing care in the Emergency Department (ED), such services are rare and often poorly understood. This pilot study utilizes qualitative methodology for the purpose of describing how one group of emergency physicians experienced with physical therapist consultation in the ED perceive these services and the...
Pressure ulcers heal slowly and this often results in prolonged hospitalization. Wound infection delays healing in decubitus ulcers and standard treatment include wound dressing and use of antibiotics. However, there is increasing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVB) on the healing of...
Background and Purpose. The purpose of the admission process in the graduate physical therapy (PT) program is to evaluate information that can predict an individual’s potential for success in the program. To date there is no reliable way to predict clinical performance of physical therapy students. Emotional intelligence has been shown to predict clinical performance in other...
The concept of professionalism in the field of allied health has been defined to delineate professional behaviors and values. The term "professional attributes
Purpose: There is significant cost associated with sports injury. Establishing injury profiles in contact sports like Australian Rules Football (ARF) will facilitate implementation of injury prevention strategies. The purpose of this literature review was to investigate sports injury data collection methodology, assess the strengths and limitations of previous research and...
Day therapy programs are one of many interventions available for adolescents with mental health issues. Day therapy programs utilise a multi-disciplinary community-based approach to the treatment of mental health issues and allow adolescents to remain under the care of their family. To date, no review has specifically investigated the effectiveness of day therapy programs for...
A signal report of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 2003 stated that profound changes were needed in how health systems are designed, and postulated that such redesign could not take place without properly preparing health care professionals to take on this task. It established a set of core competencies (competence in patient-centered care, interdisciplinary teaming, evidence...
Purpose: The provision of health promotion information is an important part of the management of hospitalised patients. Allied health practitioners are often involved in the provision of this information. No studies appear to have documented the rate of provision of health promotion material by physiotherapists to hospitalised patients. The aim of this pilot study was to measure...
During the progression of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices will eventually become necessary to preserve communication between the affected individual with ALS and his or her family members and loved ones. Speech-language pathologists play a critical role in communication management and family education regarding...
In 2008, approximately 11,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and more than 3,800 American women will die of this disease. The recent approval by the Food and Drug Administration of a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine that is over 90% effective in preventing new infections and precancerous cervical lesions caused by the HPV types that cause...