Occupational Therapy Practitioners' Perceptions on Addressing Cognition in Acute Care: A National Survey.

This study aimed to identify commonly used standardized cognitive screens and functional performance assessments among occupational therapy practitioners at level 1 trauma centers in the USA. A survey completed by 269 occupational therapy practitioners revealed the most common cognitive screens and the association between cognitive tool training and standardized cognitive tool implementation. Implications for practice are discussed with suggestions for improving occupational therapy practice.

Inpatient rehabilitation outcomes for patients receiving left ventricular assist device.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes of patients participating in inpatient rehabilitation program after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. DESIGN: Medical records of 94 patients who received LVADs between January 1, 2008, and June 30, 2010, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, were retrospectively reviewed for demographic data, and inpatient rehabilitation functional outcomes were measured by the Functional Independence Measure scale. RESULTS: After successful implantation of LVAD, the patients were either discharged directly home from acute care (44%) or admitted to inpatient rehabilitation (56%). The patients admitted to inpatient rehabilitation were older than those discharged home. They were also more medically complex and more likely to have the LVAD placed as destination therapy. At discharge, significant improvement occurred in 17 of the 18 activities evaluated by the Functional Independence Measure scale. The mean total Functional Independence Measure scale score at admission was 77.1 compared with a score of 95.2 at discharge (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately half of the patients who received LVAD therapy were admitted in the inpatient rehabilitation. After the implantation of LVAD and inpatient rehabilitation, significant functional improvements were observed. Further studies addressing the role of inpatient rehabilitation for LVAD patients are warranted.

Collaborative model of clinical education in physical and occupational therapy at the Mayo Clinic.

Clinical education experiences, a significant portion of entry-level professional education programs in physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT), commonly use a one student to one clinical instructor (1:1) model. Recently, though, the collaborative model of clinical education has received more attention in the professional literature and in clinical education experiences. The collaborative model--where two or more students complete a clinical education experience within a specific clinical area while supervised and educated by one primary clinical instructor (2:1 or 3:1)--has been used historically within the Mayo Clinic's Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in PT and now OT. Clinical instructors, referred to as clinical education coordinators, supervise and educate students as a primary job responsibility. Students also teach and learn from each other. This article describes the collaborative clinical education model used at the Mayo Clinic. Benefits and challenges of the model, feedback from students who have participated in the model, and the productivity implications of using the model are included.