This paper reports on the process of developing a low-cost initiative for therapists to assist in the collection and evaluation of information on outcome of care, using a selection of standard health outcome measures. An episode of care approach has been taken, in which repeated measures of outcome can be collected whenever the patient presents for treatment for a specific...
The purpose of the paper was to discuss directions in rural and remote health based on current policies in Australia. A review of the policy framework and consideration of health and population trends provide a basis to discuss the future rural workforce. The conclusions that are drawn support present models of rural and remote practice. A commitment to primary health and public...
Background and Purpose: In developing a new Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) curriculum, the faculty at a mid-west academic health sciences center decided to introduce course content historically placed near the end of the program’s Master of Physical Therapy curriculum at the beginning of the DPT curriculum. The new DPT curriculum was constructed to promote the value of three...
Basic clinical skill courses require students to progress from early information acquisition toward the ability to synthesize and modify the information for various clinical scenarios. In our program, graduate physical and occupational therapy students obtain practice with this clinical reasoning process during a classroom version of the Jeopardy! game. This interactive game show...
Background and Purpose: Critical reflection is a skill all physical therapists need to develop to be successful in professional practice. Scholars have defined the varied processes, purposes and outcomes of reflection. Journaling is one technique for encouraging the process of critical reflection. While journaling can take many forms, a structured journal format with clear...
There is a growing number of research units and alliances whose purpose is to link researchers and community partner groups. Little has been published about the benefits of these research organizations, the characteristics that assist them to function, and how they evolve over time. This article describes the findings of a survey of 13 investigators and research coordinators from...
Physician Assistants (PAs) are frequently delegated the task of performing invasive procedures. While there is a nearly 40 year record of PAs performing procedures of various types, limited published information is available that verifies the safety of delegating these medical responsibilities. As the scope of practice expands for the PA profession, research data will be...
Reflective practice and evidence-based practice are essential to clinical practice. The former provides a retrospective look at current practice and questions the reason for doing so. The latter provides the means by which best evidence can be used to make foundationally sound and clinically relevant decisions. This article demonstrates the utility of and the dynamics between...
Low vision may affect a person's learning, daily functioning, and psychosocial status. Intervention in the form of vision rehabilitation has enabled many people to successfully meet and overcome the challenges posed by low vision. Part one of this two-part feature presented a four-phase, interdisciplinary model of low vision services that can be applied to any setting. This paper...
An increasing number of physiotherapists are undertaking research activities, but the level of overall awareness and understanding of ethical research practices is unknown. The aim of this study was to describe physiotherapist's knowledge of good research practices. Physiotherapists who presented abstracts at an Australian Physiotherapy Association conference in 2003/2004 were...
Assisting patients to quit smoking continues to be critical for all health care providers as the Surgeon General’s report in 2004 reported a significant increase in the number of diseases caused by smoking. Awareness of the extreme addictiveness of nicotine may help health care providers increase empathy for patients attempting to quit. Health care providers can identify the...
Examined are the use of algorithms and pathways of care in the provision of health promotion activities and clinical services in Allied Health. Practitioners regardless of discipline must know and understand the importance of standards of care and models of intervention and evaluation in clinical practice. Examined is the development and use of clinical algorithms and care...
This article is a literature review that identifies contributors to student satisfaction with online instruction. Key among these contributors is flexibility within the course and contact with the instructor. Suggestions and steps are offered for the design and implementation of online courses.
Background and Purpose: Distance education has witnessed steady growth in higher education since its beginnings. During the 1990s, growth in the number of educational programs that were time and place independent was rapid. This article is about a unique program - a Ph.D. PT degree program-- the first and only Ph.D. in Physical Therapy offered in distance education format in the...
The national focus in higher education in shifting from the instructional to the learning paradigm where the emphasis on student-centered learning is of paramount importance. Instructional paradigms focus on “providing instruction” with distinct emphasis on the role of the teacher. Under this structure, students are typically passive listeners and the instructor is the center of...
The concept of mentoring is presented, including a historical overview and definitions of both mentor and protégé as well as corresponding typical roles and responsibilities. Theoretical models of mentoring are presented and contemporary views on using mentors to create meaningful curricular change are discussed. In particular, the overall results of the American Occupational...
A review of the literature was undertaken concerning maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy. A link between this behavior and an increased incidence of behavioral disorders, specifically Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was explored. The review was performed using Medline, CINAHL, and Pubmed. Search terms used were maternal smoking, ADHD, and behavioral...
The growing importance of evidence based practice is necessitating academics and clinicians to be able to make judgments about the quality of the body of research evidence pertaining to clinical questions. There are numerous critical appraisal tools to assist this process. These are mostly designed for specific research designs, and tend not to reflect the particular concerns of...
Purpose: This study investigated the relationship of onset of independent walking, upper quadrant stability and head posture and their value as predictors of temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD). Method: Quasiexperimental nonequivalent posttest design study of forty-seven subjects, ages 9 to 29, who were symptomatic or asymptomatic for TMD. Age of independent walking was recorded...
Borg’s Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) is a simple and convenient method of monitoring exercise intensity; however, the correlation between RPE and heart rate (HR) is not always consistent. This pilot study examined the criterion-based validity of RPE versus heart rate. Twelve fasting, healthy African-American volunteers at ages of 21-41 years performed a supervised, 45-minute...
Context: Behavioural studies can form an essential component of the Nutrition and Dietetics undergraduate degree. Aims: This study aimed to firstly produce on-line teaching material in Behavioural studies suitable for undergraduate Nutrition and Dietetic students. Secondly, to explore students’ views on the online material, and record their performance when taught through this...
Problems arise when clinicians or educators encounter situations that are error-prone, complex, or distracting. Trigger films (TF) are 2-4 minute vignettes simulating real-life situations that finish abruptly, stimulating participants to analyze situations in a safe environment. We report on a natural evolution of the TF, the patient safety vignette (PSV), a multimedia tool that...
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...