Therapist Education Research Articles

Use of AI in Pediatric Occupational Therapy: A Review

The utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) in pediatric occupational therapy (OT) has emerged as a promising avenue for enhancing assessment, intervention, and outcomes for children with diverse developmental needs. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current state of AI applications in pediatric OT, highlighting key findings, benefits, challenges, and future directions. AI technologies, including machine learning algorithms, computer vision systems, and wearable sensors, offer innovative approaches to assess children's motor skills, sensory responses, and cognitive functions objectively and efficiently. AI-driven intervention strategies, such as personalized treatment planning, adaptive task selection, virtual reality environments, and gamified activities, promote engagement, motivation, and skill acquisition among pediatric patients. AI can be helpful in early diagnosis as well as early intervention. Additionally, AI-powered telehealth platforms enable remote delivery of OT services, real-time monitoring of patient progress, and access to care for underserved populations. However, challenges related to data privacy, ethical decision-making, disparities in access, and therapist education must be addressed to ensure the ethical, effective, and equitable integration of AI into pediatric OT practice. By embracing ongoing research, collaboration, and innovation, pediatric OT practitioners can harness the transformative potential of AI to improve outcomes and quality of life for children and families worldwide.

The Psychosocial Developmental Phases of Death (Mortality) Awareness: What Educational Therapists should know when working with Terminally Ill Clients

This conceptual paper explores death and dying (mortality) from scientific, philosophical, and psychosocial perspectives, emphasizing its multidimensionality. Scientifically, death signifies the cessation of biological functions, while philosophically, it marks the end of conscious experience. Psychosocially, death encompasses emotional, cultural, and social dimensions, shaped by beliefs and cultural backgrounds. Educational therapists play a crucial role in navigating the psychosocial aspects of death, providing support and guidance to individuals and families coping with loss and grief. Across cultures, diverse rites and rituals as well as mourning practices aid in navigating its challenges. Focusing on death awareness from a psychosocial standpoint, this paper highlights its profound psychological implications, especially within the Eriksonian developmental theory, which is the main focus of this paper. The author has also suggested that future research could integrate interdisciplinary approaches to gain a holistic understanding of death, examining biological, philosophical, and psychosocial intersections. Practical applications could include enhancing palliative care, bereavement support, and mental health interventions, with educational therapists playing a pivotal role in these palliative endeavors. Studying cultural variations in approaching death or mortality could deepen our appreciation of human experiences. Longitudinal studies could track the evolution of individuals’ attitudes towards death and its impact on well-being. Overall, further research on death and dying, with the involvement of educational therapists, can help to enrich our current comprehension of death’s implications for humanity.

Exploring collaborative practices between teachers and speech and language therapists in inclusive education in Chile and the conditions that influence their development

AbstractThis study examined the collaborative practices between teachers and speech and language therapists (SLTs) within an inclusive setting, interviewing 17 professionals’ couples. Three distinct phases of collaboration were identified: planning (e.g. reviewing student performance), co‐teaching in the classroom, and evaluation (reflecting upon joint activities). Conditions fostering collaboration were categorized into individual (interpersonal relationships), school‐based (directive management) and policy (current regulations) dimensions. Findings suggest that the extent of collaboration varies and is influenced by interconnected conditions. This research enriches the literature by offering a classification of collaborative work between teachers and SLTs and underscores the conditions impacting it, and is invaluable for stakeholders aiming to advance inclusive educational settings.

Use of AI in Pediatric Occupational Therapy: A Review

The utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) in pediatric occupational therapy (OT) has emerged as a promising avenue for enhancing assessment, intervention, and outcomes for children with diverse developmental needs. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current state of AI applications in pediatric OT, highlighting key findings, benefits, challenges, and future directions. AI technologies, including machine learning algorithms, computer vision systems, and wearable sensors, offer innovative approaches to assess children’s motor skills, sensory responses, and cognitive functions objectively and efficiently. AI-driven intervention strategies, such as personalized treatment planning, adaptive task selection, virtual reality environments, and gamified activities, promote engagement, motivation, and skill acquisition among pediatric patients. Additionally, AI-powered telehealth platforms enable remote delivery of OT services, real-time monitoring of patient progress, and access to care for underserved populations. However, challenges related to data privacy, ethical decision-making, disparities in access, and therapist education must be addressed to ensure the ethical, effective, and equitable integration of AI into pediatric OT practice. By embracing ongoing research, collaboration, and innovation, pediatric OT practitioners can harness the transformative potential of AI to improve outcomes and quality of life for children and families worldwide.

Editorial: Valuing Indigenous Voices Despite the “No” Vote

Despite only 39.9% of “yes” votes in the October 2023 voice to parliament referendum, almost nine in 10 Australians (87%) believe that First Nations peoples should have a voice in matters influencing them, according to a comprehensive post-referendum survey (Biddle et al., 2023). Over three-quarters of “no” voters (76%) support this view. Reflecting the survey findings, two articles (Carmody, 2023; Latham et al., 2023) in the December 2023 issue of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia advocate for valuing the cultural skills, experiences, and knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in therapy and therapist education. Another article (O’Hara, 2023a) explores how the counselling and psychotherapy profession defines itself, an important concept given the forthcoming two-year review of national standards by the Federal Government. An attachment-based model for supervision (Soliman, 2023), a literature review on dog-assisted therapy for children with anxiety (Wu & Wei, 2023), a conversation analysis of silence in psychotherapy (Berger & Rae, 2023), and the Power Threat Meaning Framework and self-discrepancy theory (O’Hara, 2023b) are also featured. This issue is the first to showcase new sections called Practice Reflections and Viewpoints.

Parent and Therapist Perceptions of the Feasibility, Acceptability, and Benefits of a Weekly Therapist-Led Massage Program for Extremely Preterm Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care.

Mothers of extremely preterm infants experience high rates of mental health disorders that impair maternal-infant interaction and lead to worse infant developmental outcomes. Therapist Education and Massage for Parent-Infant Outcomes (TEMPO) is a therapist-led program that standardizes the nature and frequency of parent education through weekly scheduled therapy sessions. Using a family-centered approach, the therapist facilitates positive maternal-infant interactions and massage interventions from birth throughout hospitalization with the goal of improving maternal mental health. This qualitative study presents the results of 19 parent interviews and of a focus group of four TEMPO interventionists to elicit feedback about the program. Overall, parents and therapists viewed the program positively. Parents and therapists valued the focus on parent education and engagement to increase parent competence and bonding opportunities. Both groups acknowledged that infant massage had both infant-centered and parent-centered benefits. One area where parent and therapist views did not align was regarding feasibility of TEMPO. Parents noted multiple logistical challenges to regular NICU visitation, but ultimately agreed that attending weekly therapy sessions was feasible. Therapists noted increased time and effort required of TEMPO and felt that institutional and system-level changes would be necessary to implement weekly parent education as standard of care.

The 30th Occupational Therapy Australia National Conference and Exhibition 2023: An opportunity to acknowledge, celebrate and ignite our occupational achievements

The 30th Occupational Therapy Australia National Conference and Exhibition 2023: An opportunity to acknowledge, celebrate and <i>ignite</i> our occupational achievements

Rehabilitation access for individuals with cognitive-communication challenges after traumatic brain injury: A co-design study with persons with lived experience.

Adults with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) frequently experience cognitive, emotional, physical and communication deficits that require long-term rehabilitation and community support. Although access to rehabilitation services is linked to positive outcomes, there can be barriers to accessing community rehabilitation related to system navigation, referral processes, funding, resource allocation and communications required to ensure access. This study aimed to identify barriers to accessing insurer funding for rehabilitation and healthcare services, for adults with TBI injured in motor vehicle collisions (MVCs). We used a co-design approach to collaborate with persons with lived experience to design a survey of adults who sustained a TBI in an MVC. The survey examined access to insurer funding for rehabilitation services and was disseminated through brain injury networks in Ontario, Canada. Respondents (n = 148) identified multiple barriers to accessing rehabilitation services through insurer funding, including delays of more than 2 years (49%), mandatory duplicative assessments (64%) and invasion of privacy (55%). Speech-language therapy and neuropsychological services were denied most frequently. Negative experiences included insurers' poor understanding of TBI symptoms, denials of services despite medical evidence demonstrating need and unsupportive insurer interactions. Although 70% of respondents reported cognitive-communication difficulties, accommodations were rarely provided. Respondents identified supports that would improve insurer and healthcare communications and rehabilitation access. The insurance claims process had many barriers for adults with TBI, limiting their access to rehabilitation services. Barriers were exacerbated by communication deficits. These findings indicate a role for Speech-language therapists in education, advocacy and communication supports during the insurance process specifically as well as rehabilitation access processes in general. What is already known on this subject There is extensive documentation of the long-term rehabilitation needs of individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and their challenges in accessing rehabilitation services over the long term. It is also well known that many individuals with TBI have cognitive and communication deficits that affect their interactions in the community, including with healthcare providers, and that SLTs can train communication partners to provide communication supports to individuals with TBI in these communication contexts. What this study adds This study adds important information about barriers to accessing rehabilitation, including barriers to accessing SLT services in the community. We asked individuals with TBI about challenges to accessing auto insurance funding for private community services, and their responses illustrate the broader challenges individuals with TBI face in communicating their deficits, conveying service needs, educating and convincing service administrators and self-advocating. The results also highlight the critical role that communication plays in healthcare access interactions, from completing forms to reviewing reports and funding decisions, to managing telephone calls, writing emails and explaining to assessors. What are the clinical implications of this work? This study shows the lived experience of individuals with TBI in overcoming barriers to accessing community rehabilitation. The results show that best practices in intervention should include evaluating rehabilitation access, which is a critical step in patient-centred care. Evaluation of rehabilitation access includes evaluating referral and navigation, resource allocation and healthcare communications, and ensuring accountability at each step, regardless of model of service delivery or funding source. Finally, these findings show the critical role of speech-language therapists in educating, advocating and supporting communications with funding sources, administrators and other healthcare providers.

A test of psychotherapists' and nontherapists' recognition of correct and incorrect process in managing client resistance

AbstractObjectivePsychotherapist management of client resistance (i.e., opposition to change or the therapy process) has a significant impact on therapy outcomes. This study aimed at assessing psychotherapists' and nontherapists' abilities to recognise empirically supported correct and erroneous therapist responses to client resistance.MethodSeventy‐eight therapists and 111 nontherapists completed a rapidly administered novel skills test, Therapist Errors in Resistance Management (TERM), assessing recognition of correct and erroneous resistance management.ResultsParticipants were, on average, less than half as accurate at recognising therapist errors (recognised below chance levels) compared with correct therapist responses to resistance (recognised above chance levels). Therapists outperformed nontherapists in accurate recognition of therapist responding. However, among the therapist group, greater clinical experience did not predict superior recognition of therapist errors.ConclusionThese results indicate that therapists and nontherapists alike may have difficulty detecting erroneous therapist responses to resistance, tending to mistake empirically contraindicated directive responses for correct responding. This may reflect the difficult and unintuitive nature of correct resistance responding and may suggest a need for increased training in process acuity and resistance management in therapist education.

Attitude and Knowledge of Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists Towards the Use of Research-Based Methods in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Background. More and more alternative treatments and therapies are emerging, so it is very important for professionals not only not to get lost in their abundance, but also to choose the right methods.&#x0D; Aim. To find out the attitude of occupational therapists and physiotherapists towards the evidence-based therapeutic methods in rehabilitation for children with cerebral palsy.&#x0D; Methods. 73 rehabilitation specialists participated in this study, 30 of them were occupational therapists and 43 were physiotherapists and filled in the questionnaire. Respondents answered about the attitude and knowledge towards the evidence-based therapeutic methods in rehabilitation for children with cerebral palsy.&#x0D; Results. 97.3% respondents answered that they use evidence-based practice methods in their work. The number of scientific articles read per month in the range from 0 to 5 articles was chosen by 71.2% respondents, from 6 and more articles – 28,8% respondents. The interface between the number of articles read per month by occupational therapists was directly and moderately strongly related to work experience (r=0.555; p=0.001). The education of occupational therapists and physiotherapists was weakly related to the frequency with which they used evidence-based methods in their work (r=0.374; p=0.042; r=0.476; p=0.001).&#x0D; Conclusions. The study revealed that rehabilitation specialists apply evidence-based practice methods in their work. It can be argued that the higher the level of education a rehabilitation specialist has, the more they value evidence-based practices and apply them in their work.&#x0D; Keywords: cerebral palsy, methods of children rehabilitation, evidence-based practise.

Кардіоваскулярні ускладнення (захворювання) при хронічній нирковій недостатності. Частина I

Стаття являє собою лекцію на тему "Кардіоваскулярні ускладнення (захворювання) при хронічній нирковій недостатності та їх лікування", яка рекомендована для післядипломної освіти нефрологів, кардіологів, сімейних лікарів і терапевтів.

Theoretical aspects of the development of academic mobility of future speech therapists in dual education

Theoretical aspects of the development of academic mobility of future speech therapists in dual education

In their own words: getting it right for kink clients

Individuals in the kink community often report difficulty with finding affirming mental health care. Similarly, providers often report having limited knowledge of how best to support sexual diversity. This study highlights difficulties faced by kink individuals seeking clinical care and how providers can be more affirming. The current study utilized Delphi methodology to elucidate what clients with kink identities need from clinicians and the therapeutic environment. The study consisted of perspectives from 12 leaders in the kink community from across the United States. The culmination of their input is outlined and organized into five themes: Client Needs, Awareness and Understanding, Kink Client’s Perceptions of Therapists, Therapist Education & Training, and Client’s Perceptions of Therapy. These themes guide recommendations for practice that may be utilized in clinical training and guide clinical self-reflection.

PD-0799 Radiation therapy and implanted cardiac devices: education for radiation therapists and nurses

PD-0799 Radiation therapy and implanted cardiac devices: education for radiation therapists and nurses

European experience of physical therapists training: Introduction of new master degree programs in Ukraine

Improving the quality of education and training of future physical therapists in Ukraine is possible provided that the experience of the best European educational programs is taken into account. During 2018-2021, Ukraine is implementing the EU Erasmus + Program in the direction of KA2 ‒ "Cooperation for innovation and exchange of best practices ‒ Development of higher education potential" project "Innovative rehabilitation education in Ukraine: Introduction of new master degree programs in Ukraine (REHAB)". Among the participating partners are four representatives of higher education institutions of Ukraine and Europe.&#x0D; The main goals of the project are: to increase the professional potential of teachers of domestic universities; creation of new resources for teaching, learning, assessment; creation of a special educational infrastructure necessary for the implementation of new master's programs in physical therapy.&#x0D; At the first stage of the project implementation, own educational programs in physical therapy were analyzed and a comparative description with similar European educational programs was made. In the second and third stages of the project, an innovative educational environment was developed and created for the training of future physical therapists. Particular attention is paid to practice-oriented training of future physical therapists. Methodological support for conducting an objective structured clinical examination has been developed.&#x0D; The results of this project at Sumy State University are: analysis and updating of the educational-professional program "Physical therapy" of the first (bachelor's) level of higher education; development of the project of the educational-scientific program "Physical therapy" of the second (master's) level of higher education; development of educational and methodological support of educational components of bachelor's and master's educational programs in physical therapy; development of three electronic courses for the educational-scientific program of the second (master's) level "Physical therapy"; development of methodological support for conducting an objective structured clinical examination in the specialty 227. "Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy"; creation of four rehabilitation educational and scientific laboratories and organization of the educational process on their basis; increasing the professional competence of all teachers of the Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Sports Medicine of SSU; participation of students in academic mobility activities, various forms of non-formal education within the project.

Mind the gaps: therapists' experiences of managing symptomatic hypermobility in Scotland.

ObjectivesThe aim was to ascertain occupational therapist (OT) and physiotherapist (PT) experiences of managing hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSDs) and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) patients, specifically the training and confidence levels of therapists, use of evidence-based practice, accessibility of pain management and clinical psychology services, and perceived usefulness of a specialist centre in Scotland.MethodsA mixed-method survey was distributed to Rheumatology OTs/PTs in Scotland. It included multiple choice and open text questions, which were analysed to reflect therapists’ experiences and perception of service need.ResultsWe found that therapists in Scotland do have expertise in the management of HSD/hEDS patients; however, this expertise tends to be concentrated in secondary care, which makes it difficult for patients who are managed in primary care to access. The majority of respondents reported lack of access to external training (80%). There was difficulty in referral to pain management services (55%) and clinical psychology (28%) among adult therapists. Paediatric services provided considerably better access to these disciplines. Of note, the majority of respondents were in favour of a specialist centre in Scotland for the training and education of therapists (94.7%) and the diagnosis and management of complex HSD/hEDS patients (73.7%).ConclusionMore research is needed urgently to evaluate the effectiveness of therapy interventions to underpin a national guideline in order that we can improve outcomes for HSD/hEDS patients. A specialist centre with expert and engaged clinicians would be a valuable asset in coordinating patient-focused research and conducting good-quality clinical trials.

Political and managerial aspects of professional education of physical therapists in Ukraine

Political and managerial aspects of professional education of physical therapists in Ukraine

Comparison of satisfaction level according to the scale of continuing education for physical therapists

Comparison of satisfaction level according to the scale of continuing education for physical therapists

Introduction: Psychotherapy through the lens of cinema.

The primary aim of this issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session is to demonstrate the myriad ways in which movies, their viewing and discussion, can be used to serve therapeutic and educational purposes. It collects together eight essays, an empirical study, and a film script that offer shifting perspectives on questions that are of interest to all therapists, irrespective of their theoretical persuasions: What can be learned about the transformative powers of psychotherapy by studying how filmmakers inspire deeply felt and memorable experiences in their audiences? What are the beneficial and detrimental effects of the ways in which psychotherapists and their patients have been portrayed in films and TV programs? What psychological functions can be served by recommending that a patient watch a particular film? When is it advisable to inquire about the characters in films who have served as the role models that played an important role in the formation of a patient's sense of self? Can films that portray what is best about human beings inspire life-changing forms of imitative learning? What roles can the viewing and discussion of films play in the education of therapists?

Stroke Prevention: Education and Barriers for Physical and Occupational Therapists Caring for Older Adults

Aims: Describe the frequency of common stroke prevention education topics provided by occupational and physical therapists (OTs/PTs) to individuals at risk for stroke; summarize barriers to such educationMethods: OT/PT professional association subgroups were surveyed regarding prevention education for individuals with risk factors, transient ischemic attack, and stroke, and barriers to such education.Results: A total of 293 therapists completed the survey, 11% OTs and 89% PTs. Education about risk/symptoms (61% of respondents) and activity/exercise (60%) was most commonly provided. The most frequently cited barriers to education were compromised health literacy of the patient/caregiver (62%), lack of interest by the patient/caregiver (51%), and lack of time (46%).Conclusion: The proportion of OTs/PTs providing stroke prevention education appears to be suboptimal. Therapist knowledge, patient characteristics, and institutional constraints were common barriers. Since stroke risk increases with age, reducing risk by identifying and eliminating barriers may help improve health of older adults.