Purpose: Most educational programs in the health sciences present their students with a clinical decision-making model (CDMM) to help them define and treat client problems with a client-centered approach. However, little is known about how well students apply such a model in a clinical setting. The purpose of this study was to determine whether physical therapy students used a...
Allied health practitioners who are also educators understand their dual responsibility to educate students and to serve as gatekeepers to their profession. They are challenged with selecting and preparing students to practice in a skilled, competent manner. During the formal educational process, the academic and clinical aspects of allied health education are equally important...
AIDS is a chronic, life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Examined is a patient education and counseling model applied to a patient with AIDS. Offered is a model utilizing problem based questions, goals and objectives and applied theory that is summarized in an algorithm of care for the patient with AIDS. Stages of HIV infection are used to...
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine what processes facilitate, temper, or impede occupational therapy identity development in a community of practice. Methods: A multiple case design organized data collected from five in-depth interviews with occupational therapy students on level II fieldwork. A cross-case analysis was used to arrive at multiple case themes...
This study evaluated the standard of in-patient medical record documentation by physiotherapists at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH), Adelaide, South Australia, during 2003. The impact of patient characteristics (ie primary diagnosis and length of stay in hospital) and physiotherapist features (eg employment classification level and years of employment at the RAH) on the...
The dispersal of anthrax spores in October 2001 showed Americans that they are vulnerable to bioterrorism. The ineffective response to bioterrorism demonstrates that public health agencies do not have plans or training exercises in place to deal with this emerging threat. Although the CDC asked that the Model State Emergency Health Powers Act (MSEHPA or Model Act) be drafted to...
Background: This paper reports on the effectiveness of a checklist that assists patients to transition safely and sustainably from hospital to home. Methods: Medical wards in three tertiary public hospitals in metropolitan Adelaide provided subjects during 2004. Eligible patients were English-literate and aged at least 60 years, provided written informed consent and had an...
Amaurosis fugax is a transient visual disturbance that is typically caused by a circulatory, ocular, or neurological underlying condition. Patients with amaurosis fugax are at risk for stroke, myocardial infarction, vision loss and other serious consequences. A thorough case history, careful clinical and ocular examination and appropriate systemic testing will lead to the best...
The humanities have been defined as a group of academic subjects united by a commitment to studying aspects of the human condition and a qualitative approach that generally prevents a single paradigm from coming to define any discipline. In the medical humanities context, the most quickly growing area is the field of literature and medicine. The use of literature in bioethics...
Objective: Ethics education is an essential component of educational preparation for health care professionals. Learner-centered pedagogy can assist in the development of curricula that actively engage and challenge learners appropriately. This article describes a method for developing a case-based ethics curriculum that highlights the 5 areas of dietetics practice. Methods: A...
Purpose: This paper describes the development, implementation, and outcomes of two courses for entry-level, master’s degree earning physical therapist students. The courses were designed to address perceived barriers to early clinical education experiences, and to proactively provide appropriate structure for the imminent transition to a clinical doctoral degree curriculum...
Oxygen consumption (VO2) is the criterion standard for determining energy expenditure during activity. Newer technologies have resulted in the development of portable metabolic gas analyzers capable of measuring VO2 during a wide range of physical activities in the field. Unfortunately, use of these devices is still limited due to the cost, availability and skill level required...
Purpose: This pilot study compared traditional (paper-based) and electronic (computerized) clinical physiotherapy records. The content of the records and the software’s user acceptability were considered. Methods: A neuro-musculoskeletal patient scenario involving two encounters (initial and follow-up) was scripted and role-played to each of three experienced physiotherapists (A...
Discharge plans should include prompts for patients and their families to identify key concerns regarding their ability to undertake practical activities of daily living post-discharge. During a six month series of post-discharge interviews, elderly recently ill patients and their carers identified concerns about managing on leaving the hospital, encompassing transport home from...
Cross-cultural healthcare research has grown exponentially in recent years, focusing primarily on the healthcare-related needs of ethnic and linguistic minorities. However, by approaching cultural sensitivity from an ethnic/linguistic perspective, the practitioner runs the risk of relying on essentialized or stereotyped accounts of cultural groups, as well as overlooking the...
Purpose: The purpose of this analysis was to investigate the extent to which the ranking of programs based on total tuition cost changes when housing and program length were added to total tuition. Method: To accomplish this, the cost of tuition at 13 physical therapist education programs was compiled. Programs were ranked from most expensive to least expensive. The costs...
Purpose: This study attempted to establish reference values of the six-minute walk test (6MWT) for children (38 males; 38 females; age 90-108 months) and to determine the relationship between BMI and walking distance. Method: Subjects walked at a normal, self-selected, walking speed on a grassy field for six minutes, after which distance was measured. Results: Mean BMI was 15.50...
Context: Mentoring relationships are commonly thought to promote the learning of a professional role. Mentors can perform a variety of roles and possess many different personal characteristics, but there is limited literature related to athletic training students’ perceptions of effective mentoring roles and characteristics. Objective: To explore who athletic training students...
Contributions made by allied health programs to the local community extend beyond quality health care. Estimated in this paper are the economic contributions that the College of Allied Health Professions at the University of South Alabama makes to the economy of Mobile County, Alabama, in which the College is located. Economic impact is defined as only those expenditures that are...
Academic success includes setting goals, effective time management, and the match of teaching methods to learning style. It also depends on the educator and the manner in which material is presented. Learning style influences the retention of information and the depth of comprehension. If educators present material in a style that matches a student’s preferred learning style...
By Robert C. Grosz, Published on 07/01/05
Scholarship is the opportunity for advanced learning. The new paradigm of scholarship, in addition to research, assimilates teaching, service, and integration scholarships. Many allied health professional organizations reward a variety of scholarly efforts with continuing professional education units (CPEUs). The Commission on Dietetic Registration implemented a new CPEU category...
Objective: To explore the perceived attitudes toward continuing education and the deterrents to continuing education for certified athletic trainers (ATCs). Design and Setting: Data were collected using the Adults Attitudes Towards Continuing Education Scale (AATCES) instrument, Deterrents to Participation Scale-General (DPS-G) instrument, and self-reported demographics. Subjects...
An understanding of the physiological etiologies of psychological disturbance continues to evolve as an essential component of training and practice for healthcare providers. The epidemiology of psychological disorders in persons with Parkinson’s disease (PD) is reviewed. The anatomy of the basal ganglia, etiology of PD, and pathophysiological bases for depression, anxiety...
The term “evidence-based practice” (EBP) has become ubiquitous in physical therapy practice. Since the mid 1990s, over 70 articles have been published in the physical therapy literature relating to EBP. Many physical therapists agree with the notion that scientific evidence should be utilized to guide practice decisions. However, for physical therapy clinicians, there are...