Guidelines for selection of health information management software in outpatient practice.

ABSTRACT While use of electronic medical records is not uniform across all settings, there is an increase in electronic system and software use in healthcare. This use of electronic methods to record initial and discharge evaluations and intervention for the patient is under current consideration in outpatient rehabilitation settings. Health information management professionals can offer therapists guidance on selection and use of new software. The purpose of this article is to offer suggestions on the software purchase team, exploration of vendor and software options, review of selection criteria, and software selection strategies. The article includes criteria checklists, a discussion of purchase issues, and suggests resources to assist purchase team members and therapists who contribute opinions to software selection and use.

Self-identity in an adolescent a decade after spinal cord injury.

ABSTRACT The purpose of this mixed methods case study was to describe the current self-identity of an adolescent a decade after spinal cord injury and how he recalls his rehabilitative journey through recovery. The instruments included three in-depth interviews, administration of the Lin Interest Check List, the Stress Profile, and the Tennessee Self Concept Scale: 2. An association between participation in meaningful occupations and regaining self-identity was articulated. Results revealed above average self-concept and adequate coping skills with high use of positive appraisal. Higher scores in family and social self-concept validate his strong reliance on spirituality and his local church as a support system. In contrast, this client also scored above average on negative appraisal and on self-criticism. Implications for improved practice for occupational therapists and other rehabilitation science professionals are discussed.

Formative evaluation using checklists to improve research proposals.

Developing research proposals that protect human participants and understanding the institutional review board (IRB) approval process require high-level application of many skills. The purpose of this article is to describe how faculty can use formative evaluation techniques and checklists to guide students to build skills in writing research proposals for studies that involve human participants or their data. Formative evaluation, the process of critically reviewing work to improve it, is emphasized, and checklists that summarize IRB criteria and standards and present the critical content of research proposals for studies involving human participants are provided. Teaching principles that can guide faculty in using the checklists to give feedback and help students develop high-quality research proposals are discussed.

Learning styles of university students in a Hispanic-serving institution.

The purpose of this study was to examine the learning styles of university students in an occupational therapy program in a Hispanic-serving institution. Forty-four university students completed the Self-Directed Learning Style Check. This 80-item questionnaire identifies preferred self-directed learning styles and corresponding strategies to enhance learning. Analysis revealed a preference for the learning styles of organizing, personalizing, doing, and imagining in contrast to the styles of reflecting, collaborating, observing, and envisioning. Strategies to facilitate learning by building on preferred learning styles, while also encouraging flexibility of learning strategies, are presented.

Functional performance and grip strength after total hip replacement.

Objective. The progress of adults after total hip replacement (THR) was measured baseline to discharge using the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). Measures of effectiveness and efficiency were investigated. Additionally, although grip strength is frequently evaluated, its relationship to impact on functional gains after THR is unknown and was explored in this study. Method. A retrospective chart review was conducted on 41 patients' progress in acute rehabilitation following THR. Baseline and discharge FIM subscales of self-care, mobility, and locomotion were compared using paired t-tests with post hoc correction for type I error. Effectiveness and efficiency indicators on FIM subscale improvement were calculated. Grip strength was compared to expected values by age and gender using one-sample t-tests. Then, grip strength and FIM subscale scores were correlated using Pearson correlation. Results. FIM subscale scores each improved 2.1 points on average. Statistically significant improvement was made in 10 subscales of self-care, mobility, and locomotion. Grip strength was significantly less than expected norms in six of 14 subgroups after surgery; four of eight were female subgroups. There were no significant correlations between grip strength and any FIM subscale. Conclusion. Improvement in functional performance, as measured by FIM, was made on all FIM subscales. Grip strength after THR was moderately decreased from the norm. Results suggest that loss of grip strength alone may not adversely affect functional performance.

Occupational therapy in transitioning adolescents to post-secondary activities.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of special education directors on the current role of occupational therapy in high school transition programs for adolescent students with disabilities. Additionally, barriers to providing occupational therapy services and perceptions about new occupational therapy services were examined. METHOD: A mailed questionnaire was administered to all special education directors in a rural state in the United States. One hundred and four (57.5%) responses were received. Descriptive statistics were generated with an emphasis on percentages to examine current occupational therapy services in high school transition programs and barriers to service delivery. RESULTS: In this study, occupational therapists provided less than one fifth of transition services in high schools for students with disabilities. They provided more assistive technology consults (30.3%), task or environmental modification (25.8%), and Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and Individualized Transition Plan (ITP) planning (20%) than other providers. Barriers to occupational therapy use included funding, lack of inter-agency planning, and lack of parent participation. About 35% of special education directors suggested that additional occupational therapy services were needed for adolescents with cognitive disabilities and for job performance and related work skills programming. CONCLUSION: Occupational therapists in this study provided ancillary services to high school students with disabilities with greater emphasis on technology, task or environmental modification, and IEP or ITP planning, as perceived by special evaluation directors.

The adolescent role assessment: psychometric properties and theoretical usefulness.

OBJECTIVE: Fostering career adaptability may improve vocational outcomes for adolescents. This study examined the responses of adolescents on the Adolescent Role Assessment (ARA) to explore its usefulness as a measure of career adaptability. METHOD: The ARA was administered to 101 adolescents 12 to 17 years of age. Descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, and factor analysis were generated from the ARA scores. Dominant narrative themes were coded into the six domains of the ARA and into the domains identified in the factor analysis. RESULTS: The internal consistency of the ARA was low with few differences in findings across age. The identified factors--developing aspirations, self-efficacy, interpersonal competencies, and autonomy--are consistent with constructs of career adaptability found in the literature and differentiated low and high scorers. CONCLUSION: Major changes to the ARA content and scaling or development of a new assessment of career adaptability using the factor structure are recommended for clinical and research applications.