Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects

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https://hdl.handle.net/1805/23238

This collection includes capstone projects authored by doctoral students in the Department of Occupational Therapy.

If you are an OTD student and need access to upload your project, please contact the IUPUI University Library Center for Digital Scholarship (digschol@iupui.edu).

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 12

Clinical Strategies to Increase Client Adherence to Home Exercise Programs
(2022-05-02) Farnlacher, Danielle; Albright, Megan; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Metropoulos, Cody
Providing a home exercise program to patients is one of the most fundamental aspects of therapy in outpatient rehabilitation due to the potential for restoring an individual’s strength and functional abilities following a trauma or musculoskeletal condition. Whilst there are notable advantages to client’s whom engage in their home exercise program, non-compliance has shown to be as high as 50-65% for clients with general musculoskeletal conditions. Many suggest that non-compliant patient behaviors are attributed to poor healthy literacy and poor self-efficacy. The purpose for the capstone project and experiential is to improve rehabilitation education provided by occupational therapists to reduce patient non-compliance behaviors to HEPs as a result of poor health literacy through the implementation of 15-minute telehealth appointments focused on HEP education. Take-aways for clinical practice include that the intervention group reported lower pain levels and reduced disability as measured by the QDASH. Additionally, sixty six percent of respondents reported that their HEP helped them recover from their injury and felt as though the 15-minute telehealth appointments prompted them to complete their HEP as prescribed by their therapist.
Doctoral Capstone Experience: Acute Care Occupational Therapy Neurological Vision Rehabilitation
(2021-04-16) Northquist, Jessie; Albright, Megan; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Metz, Emily; Homner, Lauren
This paper focuses on an occupational therapy student’s Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE) at a large, level I trauma hospital in the neurological rehabilitation department. The site lacked an occupational therapy vision rehabilitation protocol among staff and lacked the time to develop such a protocol. Neurological injuries often result in visual deficits, with 85.7% of participants in a study on strokes and 90% of people with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) reporting changes in vision (Norup et al., 2016; Robert's et al., 2016). Occupational therapy focuses on providing neurological vision rehabilitation in the setting of functional deficits. Participants consisted of 14 occupational therapists. The capstone student collaborated with site mentors and the Indiana University Occupational Therapy (IUOT) department to develop educational materials and a survey measuring the improvement of participant understanding of vision OT. The participants improved in all portions presented, including assessments, interventions, and referrals, with the most improvement in their knowledge on appropriate interventions. The project is sustainable long term via access to the materials digitally and in print.
The Effectiveness of Dance Intervention for Parkinson's Disease
(2021-05-06) Messer, Kyle; Albright, Megan; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Williams, Kim
Fear of falling and increased fall risk is a common issue for individuals with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Secondary to balance and coordination complications experienced these individuals can experience extreme difficulty navigating their environment because of compromised mobility. This difficulty can manifest, causing mobility issues, insecurity with functional mobility, and transitioning from one position to another. The resulting effects of PD can drastically influence the quality of life in which individuals with PD experience. The impact can present in fear of transferring from seated to standing positions, inability in completing daily self-care tasks, inability to participate in activities which bring an individual enjoyment, and result in significant fatigue levels experienced. The purpose of this doctoral capstone experience is to introduce dance as a fun and interactive exercise-based intervention. Ideally, introducing a Samba dance style to the participants of the study will decrease the risk/frequency of falls among participants, improve engagement in Activities of Daily Living (ADL)/ Instrumental Activities of Daily living (IADL) and improve quality of life. During the study, participants engaged in one weekly Samba dance intervention accompanied by a warm-up and stretch routine to address issues. Four separate subjective assessments were implemented addressing independence with ADL/IADLs, a fall risk/mobility measure, an assessment addressing fatigue levels experienced, and a measurement to see the strain placed on caregivers. The results of the study are inconclusive and have several statistical variations among the four participants which completed both -pre and -post-assessments. The doctoral capstone student hypothesized that with objective measures implemented, increased frequency of the intervention, and a larger sample size a similar, future study may provide positive results when addressing improvements in independence with ADL/IADL performance, improved mobility/decrease in fall risk, and improved overall quality of life.
The Impact of an Adapted Dance Fitness Program on Sport Performance Outcomes
(2021-04-16) Callahan, Renee; Albright, Megan; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Graber, Itzel
The capstone project investigated the effects of a virtual adapted dance fitness program, called DanceFloor Fitness, of the Special Olympics Indiana athletes’ sports performance outcomes. This program was developed and implemented based on the need of having supplemental cardiovascular training that was inclusive, client-centered, and accessible for the Special Olympics Indiana athletes, in order to improve leisure participation and increase social participation. The participants consisted of athletes, or county coordinators, affiliated with Special Olympics Indiana and participated at their own leisure. Participants completed 12 weeks of DanceFloor Fitness classes, held two days a week for 60 minutes each, and reported their fitness progress and program satisfaction via midpoint and pre/post surveys that collected qualitative outcome measurements. Overall, the majority of the athletes reported that DanceFloor Fitness classes helped them become better at their sport(s) and improved their muscular strength, mood, dance skills, communication with teammates, and the ability to make friends. Given the program’s virtual platform, unique curriculum, and specialized population, more research is needed to better understand the impact of an adapted dance fitness program on individuals of all ages, genders, and abilities.
The Implementation of Obstetrical Brachial Plexus Palsy Education
(2023-05-03) McRae, Libby; Albright, Megan; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; MacLeod, Mary Hart
Brachial plexus injuries are a fairly common diagnosis seen within the outpatient pediatric setting. Obstetrical brachial plexus injuries occur in approximately 0.9 per 1000 live births (Lin & Samora, 2022). Due to lack of awareness, as well as the wide range of severity and prognosis, many caregivers of infants and children find it difficult to explain their child’s injury in a child-friendly manner. This difficulty has the potential to negatively impact the child’s self-esteem, self-efficacy, and self-advocacy skills. The capstone student, as well as the site’s stakeholders identified this gap within the current educational material being provided at the brachial plexus clinic. This doctoral capstone project involved creating evidence based and child-friendly educational materials for children and caregivers of children with obstetric brachial plexus palsy. Following the implementation of the created educational materials, participants reported increased comfort and confidence discussing obstetric brachial plexus palsy with their child. Additionally, caregivers also reported they feel these materials have the potential to lead to improving the child’s ability to advocate for themselves.
Implementing Infant Safe Sleep Education to Improve Parental Self-Efficacy in Rural Indiana: A Doctoral Capstone Report
(2022-08) Parks, Mary C.; Albright, Megan; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Zarate, Monica
Research indicates that poor self-efficacy can negatively impact successful engagement in the occupation of parenting. In addition to hurting parents’ sense of competence, a lack of preparedness and knowledge can also be dangerous, as evidenced by the nearly 3,500 infant deaths which occur in the United States annually from mostly preventable sleep-related causes. Due to a variety of factors, members of minority and rural communities often have more difficulty accessing resources such as health- and parenting-related education. Because of this, the author chose to design and implement a doctoral capstone project in Clinton County, IN, a rural community with a large Hispanic/Latino immigrant population. The project centered on the creation of accessible, culturally sensitive educational resources on safe sleep and SIDS prevention to increase awareness of safe sleep practices and improve the self-efficacy of Hispanic and Latino parents in Clinton County. A brief educational presentation, along with pre- and post-surveys were created and delivered in partnership with a local organization to 15 Hispanic and one Caucasian community member. The survey results indicated a clear increase in participants’ knowledge and understanding of safe sleep and SIDS prevention practices, along with their confidence in their own abilities to keep infants safe during sleep. These results are indicative that increased access to culturally sensitive educational resources for minority members of rural communities is both necessary and beneficial for increasing the self-efficacy and success of parents within these communities.
Occupation-Based Intervention Binder and Advanced Clinical Skills Within Hand Therapy: An Evidence Based Approach
(2022-04-28) Richardson, Shelby; Albright, Megan; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Roscetti, Sally
Hand therapy is an area of practice occupational therapists can specialize in, where patients with injuries to the hand and upper extremity are treated. This area of practice receives criticism as the typical biomechanical approach to intervention is primarily used rather than occupation based. There is growing concern OTs are losing distinct value within this area of practice as their approach does not align with foundational principles. The purpose of the capstone project is to provide quality improvement to patients through the creation and implementation of an occupation-based intervention resource binder for clinical use. Seeking to further explore the discrepancy between literature and clinical practice, research suggests that a dual focused model in practice provides best patient outcomes. Obstacles like caseload demands, post-operative protocols, storage space and prioritizing therapeutics patients can only receive in the clinic are barriers to occupation-based treatment. The capstone student utilized knowledge gained from advanced clinical skills to guide the creation of an evidence-based resource binder to assuage identified obstacles in order to advocate for the profession and improve patient outcomes.
Occupational Therapy in Neuro-Oncology Acute Care and the Role of Mirror Visual Feedback: A Doctoral Capstone Project
(2022-05-02) Davis, Madyson O.; Albright, Megan; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Grooms, Amy
This paper explains a Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE) completed by an occupational therapy student at a level I trauma center in Columbus, Ohio. The site referenced throughout the paper is a large teaching hospital and a comprehensive cancer center. The capstone student’s primary objective was to gain advanced clinical skills in the area of neuro-oncologic rehabilitation. While doing so, the student also researched mirror visual feedback and trialed the use of this intervention with the neuro-oncology population. To improve the quality of the site, the student advocated for the purchase of additional mirror therapy resources and provided education to the staff therapists. The student delivered an in-service presentation and created an infographic regarding evidence supporting mirror visual feedback and practical tips for application. The student measured the effectiveness of the education with a pre-survey and post-survey. Participants’ average responses to survey questions related to knowledge and confidence increased, suggesting that the education had a positive impact on the site. The overall results of the capstone indicate that occupational therapy has a strong role in neuro-oncologic acute rehabilitation and that while there is a need for additional evidence, mirror visual feedback may be a beneficial intervention for this patient population. The completion of the project resulted in additional mirror resources, access to sustainable educational materials, and a guide for incoming clinical students to reference when working with neuro patients.
Occupational Therapy's Role in Hand Therapy: Approaches and Perspectives
(2021-04) Shelton, Hayley; Albright, Megan; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Roscetti, Sally
Hand therapy is a practice area within occupational therapy. Occupational therapists have a unique skillset in which they are able to treat patients with upper extremity musculoskeletal injuries while realizing that each patient is an occupational being. The purpose of this capstone was to identify reasons occupational therapy practitioners lacked occupation-based interventions in treatment sessions, search the literature to find the best way to implement occupation-based interventions, and for the capstone student to utilize the findings from the research to provide the best possible patient care. Research suggests a combination of the biomechanical frame of reference and occupation focused frame of reference is the best approach to patient care in hand therapy. However, having the skillset to do that comes after months of experience. This capstone student identified the ways having a capstone in hand therapy in addition to a level II fieldwork in hand therapy advanced their skillset past that of an entry level practitioner. The capstone student implemented occupation-based interventions into treatment sessions and utilized advanced skills, such as provocative testing, to advance their skills beyond a level II fieldwork student. The student then created a table outlining the differences between a fieldwork student and a capstone student for future students and practitioners to use as a reference. Keywords: hand therapy, occupational therapy, occupation-based, capstone student, advanced clinical skill
Patient and Clinician Education in Upper Extremity Rehabilitation
(2024) Sweeney, Kressa; Albright, Megan; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Higgs, Jill
A person’s upper extremity, especially the hand, serves as the primary tool of function in daily life. Therefore, upper extremity injuries and conditions can have an extreme impact on life roles and daily tasks. Routines and practices that were once second nature become challenging, discouraging, and sometimes unattainable. Through occupational therapy, healing is facilitated, limitations are addressed, and function is restored. To achieve this outcome, however, both the patient and the therapist must have adequate knowledge and understanding of the upper extremity injury. The patient must be educated on their condition to be able to actively participate in their recovery, and the clinician must be educated on how to best treat the injury. Therefore, the aim of this doctoral capstone project is to improve both patient and clinician education within upper extremity rehabilitation. To improve patient education practices in occupational therapy, research was conducted to identify trends, gaps, and needs in upper extremity rehabilitation patient education. To improve clinician education in upper extremity rehabilitation, an orthosis guidebook was created to aid clinicians and students with selecting, fabricating, and modifying orthoses. By combining these two goals, the doctoral capstone project aimed to improve best practice and education within upper extremity rehabilitation.

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Browsing Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects by Author "Albright, Megan"

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