physical therapist assistant

INTRODUCTION: Children with acquired brain injury (ABI) are at risk for poor therapeutic engagement due to cognitive impairment, affect lability, pain, and fatigue. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has the potential to improve patient engagement in rehabilitation therapies; however, the feasibility of integrating AAT into the rigorous therapy schedule of inpatient clinical care or its reception by patients, families, and staff is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To examine the feasibility and acceptability of incorporating dogs into physical therapy and occupational therapy sessions with pediatric patients being treated on an inpatient rehabilitation unit for acquired brain injury...

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a business case analysis for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program STRIDE (ASsisTed EaRly MobIlization for hospitalizeD older VEterans), which was designed to address immobility for hospitalized older adults. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING: This was a secondary analysis of primary data from a VA 8-hospital implementation trial conducted by the Function and Independence Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI). In partnership with VA operational partners, we estimated resources needed for program delivery in and out of the VA as well as national implementation facilitation in the VA...

BACKGROUND: With longer life spans and medical advancements, the rising number of patients with advanced-stage Parkinson's disease (PD) warrants attention. Current literature predominantly addresses dementia and fall management in these patients. However, exploring the impact of swallowing function on patients with advanced PD is crucial. Previous research has demonstrated notable enhancements in the quality of life related to voice for participants following a group singing-intervention program...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of cultural competence and humility among patients of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) community in physical therapy. Researchers sought to understand the perspectives of adults over 18 years old who have received physical therapy and identify as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. METHODS: A phenomenological qualitative approach was utilized for this study...

Practicing walking in a safety suspension device allows patients to move freely and without excessive reliance on a therapist, which requires correcting errors and may facilitate motor learning. This opens the possibility that patients with subacute stroke may improve their walking ability more rapidly. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that overground gait training in a safety suspension device will result in achieving faster supervision-level walking than gait training without the suspension device. Twenty-seven patients with stroke admitted to the rehabilitation ward with functional ambulation categories (FAC) score of 2 at admission were randomly allocated to safety suspension-device group (SS group) or conventional assisted-gait training group (control group)...

In this study, we conducted a survey targeting 191 physical therapists (PTs) and 159 occupational therapists (OTs) in South Korea to explore attitudes toward virtual rehabilitation. Utilizing the Korean version of the ADOPT VR by Glegg et al., OT exhibited significantly more experience with virtual reality (VR) and active video games (AVG) than PT. Therapists with VR/AVG experience scored significantly higher in most categories, and the scores in each category were significantly correlated with the Behavioral Intention category, reflecting the willingness to use VR/AVG...

CONTEXT/OBJECTIVE: Activity-based therapies (ABT) are increasingly used in rehabilitation after spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D). However, the absence of standardized tools to track the details of an ABT program hinders the collection of data needed for client-tailored programming and resource allocation. The objective of this study is to determine the content to include in an ABT tracking tool for people living with SCI/D. DESIGN: Cross-sectional e-survey...

BACKGROUND: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common condition resulting from compression of the median nerve at the wrist. First-line treatment typically involves conservative management, which commonly includes splinting and gliding exercises. Emerging evidence suggests the potential benefits of using virtual reality (VR) in rehabilitation. AIM: This study aimed to assess the effects of VR-mediated tendon and nerve gliding exercises on the conservative treatment of CTS, compared to video-assisted (sham virtual) and home-based gliding exercises...

(1) Background: Dog-assisted therapy (DAT) is an experiential intervention to promote psychological, physical, and social functioning in children and adults. Only few studies have been conducted on DAT in adults with a mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning (MID-BIF). The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of patients with MID-BIF undergoing DAT in a mental health care facility. (2) Method: Seven patients completed 13 to 15 sessions of DAT. Within two weeks of completing the program, they were interviewed using a semi-structured interview...

INTRODUCTION: Full-time clinical education experiences (CEEs) constitute a significant component of entry-level physical therapy education. COVID-19 challenged clinical education throughout the country by affecting the availability of CEEs. REVIEW OF LITERATURE: Research suggested that the number of clinical education spots available would stay the same. By contrast, the number of students enrolling in physical therapist (PT) and physical therapist assistant (PTA) education programs continues to rise...

INTRODUCTION: Physical therapy professional education program directors (PDs) face stress associated with work roles and responsibilities, which can cause burnout and job turnover. REVIEW OF LITERATURE: Burnout and turnover in physical therapy education PD positions are influenced by inexperience, insufficient compensation, decreased support, heavy workloads, difficulty hiring and retaining faculty, and internal conflict. Program directors also receive insufficient training in their roles...

PURPOSE: Once the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, clinicians were redeployed to prepare for increased hospitalizations. This disruption necessitated rapid continuing professional development (CPD) resources for health care providers. This mixed-method study explored the experiences of occupational therapists and physiotherapists who accessed a CPD Web site that provided educational resources related to the pandemic to refresh their clinical knowledge and skills. METHODS: Faculty from the Michener Institute of Education at the University Health Network and University of Toronto along with 60 collaborators created a Web site to support the need for rapid CPD...

BACKGROUND: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neuromuscular disorder characterised by progressive motor function decline. Motor function is assessed using several functional outcome measures including the Revised Hammersmith Scale (RHS). OBJECTIVE: In this study, we present longitudinal trajectories for the RHS in an international cohort of 149 untreated paediatric SMA 2 and 3 patients (across 531 assessments collected between March 2015 and July 2019). METHODS: We contextualise these trajectories using both the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale Expanded (HFMSE) and Revised Upper Limb Module (RULM)...

Joint mobilizations are well-established and extensively researched treatment modality for adults. However, it remains largely unexplored in the pediatric population. Physical therapists hesitate to perform joint mobilization on children because of lack of knowledge, concern for the developing skeletal system, and the paucity of research on the topic. The aim of this article is to present a decision tool created for a continuing education course with the purpose to instruct pediatric therapists in the safe and effective use of joint mobilizations in children...

PURPOSE: For breast cancer survivors (BCS) living with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL), what outcome domains (OD) should be measured to assess the burden of the disease and efficacy of interventions? A Core Outcome Set (COS) that promotes standardized measurement of outcomes within the constraints of time influenced by work environments is essential for patients and the multidisciplinary professionals that manage and research BCRL. METHODS: Using Delphi methodology, a multidisciplinary group of BCRL experts (physical and occupational therapists, physicians, researchers, physical therapist assistants, nurses, and massage therapist) completed two waves of online surveys...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate how gait kinematics and muscle activity during robot-assisted gait training are affected by different combinations of parameter settings and a number of instruction types, ranging from no instructions to goal-specific instructions. DESIGN: Robots for gait therapy provide a haptic guidance, but too much guidance can limit the active participation. Therapists can stimulate this active participation either with instructions or by adapting device parameters...

BACKGROUND: Disproportionate effects of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic on older adults in post-acute care settings created many professional and ethical challenges for patients and healthcare providers. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the professional and ethical issues of physical therapists (PTs) and physical therapist assistants (PTAs) in providing facility-based post-acute care in residential settings (skilled nursing facilities, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and long-term acute care hospitals) during the COVID-19 pandemic...

Stroke is a global health concern causing significant mortality. Survivors face physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges, affecting their life satisfaction and social participation. Robot-assisted gait training with virtual reality, like Lokomat, is a promising rehabilitation tool. We investigated its impact on cognitive status, activities of daily living, and quality of life in individuals with stroke. Between September 2022 and August 2023, we exposed 34 first stroke patients (8 women, 26 men; M age = 59...

INTRODUCTION: Differential diagnosis of pediatric neck pain requires age-appropriate communication and assessment tools. Recognizing these age-related nuances is critical, emphasizing the role of physical therapists in assessing and managing pediatric patients while ruling out severe pathologies. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 10-year-old male presented to physical therapy with a five-week history of increasing neck pain. A thorough history and segmental cervical examination considering the patient's age and development, led to patient referral to the emergency department...

BACKGROUND: Telehealth is becoming more prevalent in physical therapy, involving a whole host of clinical services. These services are often provided without structured training in telehealth, and no formal curricula currently exist for this purpose. OBJECTIVE: To develop a set of educational competencies (ECs) to guide instruction of telehealth-related skills in entry-level programs (i.e., Doctor of Physical Therapy), existing programs (i.e., residencies and fellowships), and potential future post-graduate programs specific to telehealth physical therapy...