Browsing by Author "Russell, Rachel"

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    Current Evidence-Based Practices for Acute Stroke Rehabilitation
    (2025-05) Russell, Rachel; Breeden, Lori; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Del Gallo, Drew
    Every year more than 795,000 people living within the United States have a stroke (Tsao, et al., 2023). With the prevalence, complexity, and wide variety of symptoms a person can experience following a stroke, there is continual research advancements on the best practices for the acute stroke patient (American Stroke Association, n.d.). The purpose of this doctoral capstone project was to research current evidence-based practices and develop educational resources for the acute rehabilitation team to expand their knowledge on the best practices that benefit acute stroke patients. Through the needs assessment, it was discovered that the site had a goal to increase knowledge on the current evidence-based rehabilitation practices that are relevant for acute stroke patients. Following a systematic review of the current literature, four resources were developed, and an in-service presentation was delivered to the acute rehabilitation team to guide the effective utilization of these materials in clinical practice. The acute rehabilitation team supported the use of these resources as they reported an increase in confidence and knowledge in researching and implementing current evidence-based practices in the future with acute stroke patients following the in-service presentation. The results indicate that continued research is recommended to further explore effective strategies for translating evidence-based practices into clinical practice by occupational therapists working with stroke patients in the acute care setting.
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    Effect of Virtual Reality Interventions on Occupational Participation in Stroke Patients: A Rapid Systematic Review
    (2023-05-04) Gillen, Grace; Huff, Nichole; Messenger, Elizabeth; Russell, Rachel; Butcher, Madison; Chase, Tony; Sego, Daniel; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences
    This rapid systematic review of the literature examines the literature on effective occupational therapy virtual reality (VR) interventions in rehabilitation of individuals poststroke. This review provides a comprehensive overview and analysis of 25 studies that addressed common themes, including: upper extremity (UE) mobility, functional outcomes, Quality of Life (QoL), and functional performance, related to increasing occupational participation through VR. Findings reveal moderate strength of evidence for the use of VR interventions, in addition to conventional occupational therapy (OT), in supporting individuals’ occupational performance and relative, functional factors contributing to participation in occupations, among individuals following a stroke. This review supports the use of VR interventions for individuals poststroke due to their innovativeness, adaptability, and ability to simulate real-life activities of daily living (ADLs), and supports the use of occupation-based VR interventions which can inform and guide intervention approaches for OT practitioners working in stroke rehabilitation.
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    The Utility of Monitoring Potassium in Transgender, Gender Diverse, and Nonbinary Individuals on Spironolactone
    (Oxford University Press, 2022-09-12) Hayes, Hailey; Russell, Rachel; Haugen, Amber; Nagavally, Sneha; Sarvaideo, Jenna; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Context: Current Endocrine Society guidelines recommend that transgender women taking spironolactone have their potassium levels checked every 3 months for the first year after initiating therapy and annually thereafter to monitor for hyperkalemia. Objective: The goal of this study was to assess the need for such frequent potassium monitoring and to investigate whether age plays a role in potassium abnormalities in transgender, gender diverse, and nonbinary (TGDNB) individuals taking spironolactone. Methods: Using EPIC-Clarity, a retrospective study of healthy, adult individuals with gender-identity disorder listed in their problem list and taking spironolactone was performed. We analyzed the incidence of hyperkalemia in this population. Data from June 2006 through November 2021 were obtained. Exclusion criteria included hypertension, renal failure, diabetes mellitus, heart failure, and medications that affect the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Results: 318 healthy TGDNB individuals met our inclusion criteria. We identified 8/318 (2.5%) individuals with hyperkalemia on spironolactone. There was a significant difference in incidence of hyperkalemia events in those >45 years old and those ≤45 years old (8.9% vs 1.5%, P = .016). Conclusion: Our data suggest the incidence of hyperkalemia in our TGDNB population is low, particularly in those ≤45 years old; however, this risk increases with age. These findings suggest practice guidelines may need to be adjusted to minimize unnecessary testing in the population ≤45 years old who are not plagued by comorbidities that affect potassium handling.