Scholarship and Open Access Repository
Not a member yet
1330 research outputs found
Sort by
COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control Guidelines of Philippine Physical Therapy Association (PPTA) and Rehabilitation Department of Select Hospitals in the Philippines: Impact on Infection Trend
No full textIntroduction: There is a paucity of evidence supporting the need for setting up hospital COVID-19 infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines for Physical Therapists (PTs) that meet global standards. This study aimed to determine the consistency of IPC guidelines among different rehabilitation departments of hospitals within Region IV-A and the Philippine Physical Therapy Association’s (PPTA) recommendations with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) IPC guidance document. It also compared the hospitals’ consistency scores with the trend of infected PTs per month.
Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional survey, an online checklist was developed and validated to examine the consistency of the IPC documents of select hospitals in Region IV-A and PPTA to that of WHO. Eighty-four hospitals were invited to answer this checklist, while the researchers reviewed the PPTA recommendations. Hospital responses were summarized before computing percent consistency, while that of PPTA was directly computed. Temporal trend of the number of infected PTs over a 7-month period was analyzed using line graph.
Results: Thirty-two hospitals participated in this study. Their guidelines demonstrated high consistency scores compared to PPTA recommendations, and the number of infected PT employees decreased for the first 5 months. The stark difference in consistency scores is potentially due to the number of guidelines considered by all hospitals and PPTA in developing their guidelines, inclusiveness of PPTA recommendations, and potential respondent bias.
Discussion: This study showed that Region IV-A hospitals both have IPC guidelines consistent with global standards and reduced number of PTs infected with COVID-19. The benefit of adhering to specific IPC guidelines, such as WHO and PPTA recommendations, needs further study
Staying In the Game: Understanding The Impact of Gaming On Musculoskeletal Health and Occupational Performance
No full textThe purpose of this capstone is to examine the physical demands that gaming places on the musculoskeletal system and to gain a deeper understanding of gamers’ habits and behaviors. The goal of this project is to explore the population within its context, including psychosocial impacts and the potential need for intervention. By doing so, this research aims to provide valuable insights to both gamers and clinicians, supporting and enhancing occupational performance in gaming.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesfall2025/1016/thumbnail.jp
Preventing the Strain: An Educational Program to Address Upper Extremity Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in the Beauty Industry
Get PDFThe program aims to enhance the safety and health of beauty professionals by addressing Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMSD). The educational program seeks to reduce injuries in the beauty industry by teaching ergonomic practices and joint protection strategies, which include the development of seminars targeted at cosmetology and esthetics students, as well as working professionals, with a strong emphasis on understanding body mechanics and ergonomic principles. Feedback from beauty professionals highlighted common WRMSD conditions and the critical need for preventative education and advocacy for care. The educational program strives to create a safer working environment that benefits beauty service providers throughout their careers.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesspring2025/1082/thumbnail.jp
Understanding the challenges and opportunities for orthopedic manual physical therapy in Filipino physical therapy practice: An exploratory survey
Get PDFIntroduction: Orthopedic manual physical therapy (OMPT) is renowned for its positive biophysical and psychosocial effects, making it an important tool in clinical practice. Although OMPT has long been a stable intervention used in developed countries, its adoption has spiked in developing countries, including the Philippines. Despite this progress, no comprehensive study has explored the factors that may hinder or enable Filipino physical therapists (PTs) from utilizing OMPT into their daily clinical practice. The aim of this study was to conduct a thorough behavioral analysis to determine Filipino PTs\u27 capabilities, opportunities, and motivations for using orthopedic manual therapy in their clinical practice, using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) of the Behavioral Change Wheel model.
Methods: This research was a cross-sectional survey that employed a validated TDF questionnaire covering various domains, including knowledge, skills, social/professional role and identity, beliefs about capabilities, optimism, beliefs about consequences, reinforcements, intentions, memory/attention and decision processes, environmental context and resources, social influences, emotions, behavioral regulation, and goals. Filipino PTs were purposefully recruited to participate in in-person CE courses, conferences, symposiums, and through social media.
Results: There were 331 respondents in the survey. The study revealed five dominant themes enabling Filipino clinicians to use manual therapy. These themes included Social/Professional role and identity (n=311, 94%), optimism (n=307, 93%), belief about consequences (n=304, 92%), knowledge (n=289, 87%), and the goal (n=288, 87%) of practicing manual therapy more frequently. The top 5 barriers included legal implications (environmental context and resources) (n=263, 79%), which also provoked fear of causing injury to patients (emotions) (n=171, 52%). Furthermore, clinicians received the same or less insurance reimbursement (environmental context and resources) (n=161, 49%) or out-of-pocket payment (environmental context and resources) (n=135, 41%) and did not have the necessary materials to effectively and safely perform manual therapy techniques (environmental context) (n=125, 38%).
Conclusion: This study determined the principal themes essential in mapping the barriers and facilitators of utilizing OMPT among Filipino physical therapy clinicians. The utilization of the TDF allows for specific recommendations of intervention options for stakeholders to change specific behaviors, which will be crucial to becoming OMPT a staple intervention in Filipino PT daily clinical practice.
Funding: The authors did not receive any external funding for this study
Balanced Bliss: Promoting Leisure Participation in a Daytime Homeless Shelter
Get PDFOpportunities to engage in leisure activities are limited for individuals experiencing homelessness who attend daytime homeless shelters (Palimaru et al., 2023). The purpose of this capstone project was to develop and implement a leisure participation program for homeless individuals attending daytime shelters, addressing the gap in leisure exploration and participation. The program was structured around an 8-week timeframe, with weekly thematic focuses on physical, social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, intellectual, financial, and occupational wellness.
The program consisted of one-hour sessions, four times a week, incorporating 32 structured activities designed to encourage engagement in diverse leisure pursuits. To support ongoing wellness, weekly newsletters were provided to participants. The project was executed in five phases over a 15-week period: Strengths and Needs Assessment, Program Development, Program Implementation, Program Evaluation, and Program Dissemination. By providing a structured leisure program within the daytime shelter setting, the project aimed to enhance the quality of life and well-being of homeless individuals, while exploring the broader potential impact of such programs on homeless support services.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesspring2025/1003/thumbnail.jp
Bridges to ASD: Building Resilience, Self-Efficacy and Capacity in Belizean Caregivers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Get PDFThe Bridges to ASD program was a capstone project that contributed to the nonprofit clinic in a developing country by providing resources and training sessions that potentially helped to unify the caregivers, the teachers and the therapists in their common goals to better support their children in the community with ASD.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesspring2025/1019/thumbnail.jp
Adolescents Undergoing Back Surgery & Caregiver Support Needed Before & After Surgery
Get PDFAdolescents with spinal conditions such as scoliosis, kyphosis, or fractures may require surgical intervention, with spinal fusion being the most common procedure. While these surgeries can significantly improve outcomes, parents and caregivers often feel unprepared for the responsibilities and emotional demands that follow. This lack of knowledge and support can lead to caregiver stress, feelings of isolation, and unmet self-care needs, highlighting the urgent need for better education and resources.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesspring2025/1034/thumbnail.jp
Advancing Mental Health Awareness Among Persons of Color: An Occupational Therapy Perspective
No full textThis capstone project aimed to advance mental health awareness among persons of color (POC) residing in a skilled nursing facility by developing and implementing a culturally responsive psychoeducational program. Informed by the Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) model, trauma-informed care, and mindfulness-based practices, the program addressed barriers such as stigma, limited awareness, and cultural perceptions of mental health. A needs assessment guided the creation of an 8-module curriculum covering topics like emotional regulation, family involvement, and accessing support. Educational materials were translated into Spanish, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese to enhance accessibility. The program was delivered through group and individual sessions, in-service presentations, and recreational wellness activities. Pre- and post-surveys, along with staff feedback, helped assess changes in residents\u27 awareness, stigma, coping skills, and help-seeking behaviors.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonessummer2025/1004/thumbnail.jp
The Impact of the Implementation of a Code Lavender Stress Management Program on Post-surgical Critical care Nurses’ Stress
No full textPractice Problem: Post-surgical critical care nurses face a variety of stressful events when providing patient care. And there is a strong relationship between job stress, provision of patient care, patient satisfaction, and the overall well-being of the organization.
PICOT Question: For post-surgical critical nurses who are part of a stressful event (P), do evidence-based stress management strategies (I) compared to the current practice (C), reduce stress (O) within 8 weeks (T)?
Evidence: The evidence that guided this project change is based on John Hopkins’ nursing evidence-based practice model, and Lewin’s Change theory.
Intervention: The Code Lavender intervention assisted post-surgical critical care nurses in dealing with their stress levels.
Outcome: Statistical evidence suggests that the measurement basis of the scales and subscales of the new POQA-R4 framework is psychometrically sound, but the result was that there was no significant difference in the nurses’ stress levels post-intervention of the Code Lavender. However, clinical significance showed a positive change in nurses’ health symptoms (physical tension, aches and pain, stomach upset, rapid heartbeats, and headaches). Within 8-weeks, an expected meaningful difference in nurses’ stress levels showed that the implementation of Code Lavender on professional nurses.
Conclusion: This evidence-based project was based on the Johns Hopkins EBP model and Lewin’s change theory after a thorough literature search. Although there was no significant decrease in nurses’ stress level with the usage of the Code Lavender process, there was clinical significance
Retention of Evidence-Based Practice Skills and the Association between Beliefs, Behaviors, and Workplace Culture
No full textIntroduction: Guidelines for teaching evidence-based practice (EBP) in Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) curricula have been published. There is limited evidence on the role of workplace culture in retaining these skills in entry-level clinical practice. This study evaluated the retention of self-perceived EBP skills, and the association of EBP beliefs and behaviors with cultural readiness once graduates join the workforce.
Methods: Two cohorts of DPT students completed a baseline questionnaire at graduation and a 12-month follow-up. Participants’ beliefs about EBP, implementation behaviors, and the organizational culture to support EBP were assessed using short versions of the EBP beliefs, implementation, and cultural readiness scales. The association among those variables was analyzed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients.
Results: Both cohorts achieved all EBP skills at graduation. During the 12-month follow-up, there was a decrease in self-efficacy in 10% of the EBP skills, specifically developing a strategy to maintain currency and independence with statistical concepts. There were positive moderate significant correlations between the belief “I am sure implementing EBP will improve care” with the readiness factor of “My organizational culture supports EBP implementation” (rs=.4, p=.03) and the implementation behavior of “I use EBP to improve patient outcomes” with readiness factors of resources, mentorship, and an organizational culture that supports EBP implementation (rs \u3e.4, p\u3c0.05).
Discussion: EBP skills can be retained over time, although there is a decrease in the effectiveness of the process. A workplace culture that supports clinicians’ EBP implementation is necessary for EBP integration once the DPT graduate joins the workforce