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Exploring Health Care Professionals’ Perceptions of Live Actor Avatar and AI Avatar Simulated Patient Interactions
No full textIntroduction: The increasing use of simulation in health care and advancing capabilities of virtual technology have increased the use of virtual avatars. Recently, the development of large language models has created an opportunity for virtual reality (VR) simulation through combination of VR and artificial intelligence (AI). This study sought to evaluate the perception of authenticity in prerecorded virtual simulated patient interactions using two different avatar platforms: AI avatar and live actor avatar.
Methods: Participants included 41 health professionals with patient care experience, of which 32 completed the post experience survey. Using a repeated measures mixed methods research design allowed the assessment of differences in health professionals’ perception of verbal and nonverbal communication between AI avatar and live actor avatar after viewing two five-minute prerecorded virtual patient simulations. Quantitative scale data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and frequencies. Differences in perception of patient communication were assessed using a paired t-test. Qualitative data were coded for thematic analysis converged with quantitative data for a better understanding of participants’ responses.
Results: Quantitative and qualitative analysis suggested participants perceived the live actor avatar as having a higher degree of authenticity in both verbal and nonverbal communication, with the largest effect sizes seen in displaying emotions and nonverbal communication.
Discussion: Results demonstrated greater perceived authenticity in live avatar simulation experiences compared to simulation utilizing AI avatars. However, AI avatars offer the advantages of consistent, repeatable learning experiences accessible across diverse educational settings. Educators should consider the complexity of integrating different simulation modalities, weighing authenticity benefits against practical implementation factors such as cost, scalability, and technical requirements
Advocating for the Role of Occupational Therapy in Addressing PTSD in Veterans: A Video Series
No full textThe purpose of this project is to further advocate for occupational therapy with veterans who experience PTSD through a video series. The intent is to educate veterans about the role of occupational therapy and encourage engagement in meaningful occupations to increase quality of life.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesfall2025/1011/thumbnail.jp
Implementation of an Institution-Specific Checklist to Improve Compliance with Discharge Round Completion in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
No full textPractice Problem: Effective discharge planning for premature infants in the NICU requires collaboration and coordination among multidisciplinary interprofessional (IP) teams. Ineffective communication during care transitions is a well-documented contributor to adverse patient outcomes, including prolonged hospitalization.
PICOT: For multidisciplinary, interprofessional teams in the NICU (P), how does the introduction of an institution-specific discharge checklist (I), compared to the current unit discharge process (C), affect multidisciplinary, interprofessional team compliance with completing weekly discharge rounds (O) within 6 weeks (T)?
Evidence: The reviewed literature supported the use of a discharge checklist tool to facilitate effective team communication and care coordination with parents and family caregivers during discharge planning.
Intervention: Implementing an institution-specific discharge checklist was anticipated to improve IP team compliance with attending discharge rounds, which focus on coordinating activities to prepare patients for NICU discharge.
Outcome: The evidence-based institution-specific NICU discharge checklist utilized during the intervention period of the process improvement produced a statistically significant increase in IP team attendance at weekly rounds compared to the baseline period. Improved attendance by the IP team at weekly rounds led to enhanced communication among the team, which was clinically meaningful for infants and their families.
Conclusion: Incorporation of a checklist by the IP team improves discharge care coordination activities ensuring that both clinical and psychosocial milestones are addressed to improve patient safety and care efficiency
A Guidebook for Occupational Therapy Practitioners to Promote Adaptive Sports
No full textAdaptive sports offer meaningful physical, social, and emotional benefits for adolescents with disabilities; however, many occupational therapy (OT) practitioners report limited training and resources to support these activities within practice. This capstone project aimed to address this gap by developing Sports for All, an educational guidebook designed to help OT practitioners promote engagement in adaptive sports among adolescents with disabilities. Guided by the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement and the PERMA well-being framework, the project emphasized the importance of person, environment, occupation, and positive psychological factors that support meaningful engagement in activities that promote overall well-being in adolescents with disabilities. Using a 15-week, four-phase process- collaboration, development, peer review, and dissemination- the project incorporated stakeholder partnerships, observations of local adaptive sports programs, and feedback from practitioners and community organizations. The guidebook provides a foundational background on adaptive sports, outlines the role of OT practitioners in incorporating adaptive sports into treatment planning, and offers practical tools including assessments, intervention planning resources, and preparatory activities for wheelchair basketball and adaptive kayaking. Additional components include interprofessional collaboration strategies, funding resources, and local community resources to support implementation. The intent of Sports for All is to bridge the gap of resources gap that often exists following OT academic preparation, equipping practitioners with accessible, evidence-informed materials to integrate adaptive sports into clinical and community-based practice.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesfall2025/1025/thumbnail.jp
A collective approach: Enhancing population health and social drivers of health through interprofessional education and collaboration
Get PDFAddressing Vaccine Hesitancy in Vulnerable Populations
Get PDFVaccine-preventable disease outbreaks and the spread of misinformation on vaccines throughout the United States are growing public health problems. Marginalized and vulnerable communities nationwide have seen a substantial rise in parental vaccine hesitancy that has negatively affected early childhood immunization rates, intensified healthcare disparities, and decreased patient care outcomes. Advanced Practice Registered Nurses primarily work in clinical settings, but these healthcare professionals can reach the public locally and nationally by actively participating in healthcare policy development. The following PICOT question guided the objective of this policy project: In the early childhood population (P), how does the development of a comprehensive policy recommendation addressing social determinants of health risks (I) compared to existing policy (C) improve vaccination rates as endorsed by the literature (O)? The Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice model and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) POLARIS Policy Process framework were utilized to evaluate and appraise the current literature and guide the Arkansas, Florida, and Louisiana policy review. The literature review showed direct and indirect patient outcomes, common themes, underlying causes, and effective interventional strategies. A comparative analysis was conducted on each southeastern state’s existing early childhood vaccination policies, including practice recommendations, guidelines, and legislative and regulatory frameworks. The findings prompted the development of policy recommendations and included three tailored policy briefs aligned with the best practice recommendations from the CDC and evidence-based literature. This project provided insight and strategies on addressing vaccine hesitancy in vulnerable communities to improve early childhood vaccination rates through advocacy and informed policy change
Interprofessional Education Program for Parkinson\u27s Disease Care Considerations
Get PDFResearch suggests that having interprofessional education for disease-specific care can improve patient outcomes and satisfaction. This program focused on providing a basic IPE program to rural hospital staff of various disciplines on the care considerations for individuals with Parkinson\u27s Disease when they are hospitalized. Using an occupational therapy vantage point, the program was created to address increasing occupational performance for healthcare workers and individuals with Parkinson\u27s Disease. Topics included in the program were motor symptoms, non-motor symptoms, medication management, mobility and ADLs, cognition, mental health, sleep, dietary patterns, dysphagia, and voice.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesspring2025/1005/thumbnail.jp
Combating the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Self-Esteem and Emotion Regulation: An Art-Based Intervention Program
Get PDFThis poster presents an art-based intervention program developed and designed to positively impact self-esteem and emotion regulation in children with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) through evidence-based intervention activities and group discussions. This program was created with the hopes of expanding occupational therapy\u27s knowledge and utilization of potential interventions for children with ACEs.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesspring2025/1037/thumbnail.jp
Aquatic Therapy in Neurorehabilitation
Get PDFHealthcare workers and their patients have seen the benefits of aquatic therapy (AT), but education is lacking (Marinho-Buzelli, 2023). Research suggests that AT can improve fatigue and balance for people with an acquired brain injury (Bhatnagar et al., 2019). These findings highlight the need to enhance occupational therapy (OT) education and implementation of AT in clinical practice.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesspring2025/1052/thumbnail.jp
Effectiveness of A Mindfulness Program on Traumatic Upper Extremity Injuries
Get PDFThe general overview of this research study is to develop and assess the effectiveness of a mindfulness program for supporting the psychosocial symptoms that are associated with post traumatic UE injuries. Mindfulness as an intervention will be used to support possible negative psychosocial implications the patient is experiencing post traumatic injury.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesspring2025/1038/thumbnail.jp