Final priorities; National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research--Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program--Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers. Final priorities

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces priorities under the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Specifically, we announce priorities for a Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Rehabilitation Strategies, Techniques, and Interventions (Priority 1), Information and Communication Technologies Access (Priority 2), Individual Mobility and Manipulation (Priority 3), and Physical Access and Transportation (Priority 4). The Assistant Secretary may use one or more of these priorities for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend these priorities to improve community living and participation, health and function, and employment outcomes of individuals with disabilities.

Final priority--National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research--Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers. Final priority

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces a priority for the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Specifically, we announce a priority for a Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Promoting Healthy Aging for Individuals with Long-Term Physical Disabilities. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend this priority to improve health and function outcomes for individuals aging with long-term physical disabilities.

Final priority; technical assistance to improve state data capacity--National Technical Assistance Center to improve state capacity to accurately collect and report IDEA data. Final priority

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces a priority under the Technical Assistance to Improve State Data Capacity program. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this action to focus attention on an identified national need to provide technical assistance (TA) to States to improve their capacity to meet the data collection and reporting requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). We intend this priority to establish a TA center to improve State capacity to accurately collect and report IDEA data (Data Center).

Final priority; National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research--Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program--Rehabilitation Research Training Centers. Final priority

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces a priority for a Rehabilitation Research Training Center (RRTC) on Disability Statistics and Demographics under the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for a competition in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend to use this priority to improve outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

Final Priority; National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research--Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers. Final priority

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces a priority for the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Specifically, we announce a priority for a Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Community Living and Participation for Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend this priority to improve outcomes among individuals with disabilities.

Students delivering health care to a vulnerable Appalachian population through interprofessional service-learning

Interprofessional student service-learning experiences are integrated into the preventive care of older adult residents of public housing in Appalachia. Receiving a Health Resources and Services Administration grant provided the College of Nursing at East Tennessee State University the opportunity to expand interprofessional clinical experiences for students by partnering with the College of Pharmacy, the College of Clinical & Rehabilitative Health Sciences, and the local public housing authority. Select faculty from each college met and developed a plan to form student teams from all three colleges to conduct in-home comprehensive medical and nutrition assessments and medication chart reviews of high-risk older adults. Following the in-home visit, students and faculty discuss the assessment findings at planned interprofessional meetings. Students present their findings from each discipline's perspective and collaboratively set health priorities and develop intervention strategies and an inclusive follow-up plan. Excerpts from students' reflective narratives discussing the impact of the interprofessional service-learning experiences are shared.

Interprofessional education: a pilot study of rehabilitation sciences students participating in interdisciplinary international service-learning

Various models of interprofessional education, including service-learning, are used to teach students how to be effective members of healthcare teams. The purpose of this study was to examine pilot data related to the impact of an elective one-credit global health course with an international service-learning experience (ISL) on the student participants. An interdisciplinary team of 3 faculty accompanied 4 students representing occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology programs for an 8-day ISL experience. Students responded to faculty-developed reflection questions pre-travel, during travel, and 2-weeks and 4-months post travel. Content analysis was used to analyze themes that emerged from the students' written reflections. Three major themes emerged: collaboration, satisfaction, and self-discovery. The most prominent theme was related to interprofessional collaboration.

Transformative learning

The whole point of teaching and training is to have the learners leave in some way different from how they came in-more skilled, more knowledgeable, more self-aware. Transformative learning refers to dramatic change, where the learner achieves a shift in perspective. This shift results from a critical examination of one's own assumptions, values, and beliefs, and of the foundations and expectations of the system in which one operates. Educators are in the change business, and educators focused on implementing psychiatric rehabilitation, recovery-oriented services, and person-centered planning are in the transformative learning business. The shift from a traditional medical model to a recovery perspective, the shift from "illness" to "disability" to "wellness," and the shift from risk prevention to promoting opportunities for growth all require "standing outside ourselves" and looking at a "stark and highlighted picture" of the all-too-common status quo of mental health services today. With the right approach, learners can be developed, encouraged, disrupted, and transformed.

Developing behavioural training services to meet defined standards within an Australian statewide disability service system and the associated client outcomes

BACKGROUND

LaVigna, Christian, and Willis (2005) reported on a project where Institute for Applied Behaviour Analysis (IABA) staff trained a professional team in New Zealand (NZ) to provide behavioural services that met defined criteria. The NZ team was then trained to train other practitioners to meet the same professional standards. However, no client outcomes were reported in that study.

METHOD

This study replicates the NZ study within disability services in Tasmania, Australia. Further, this study examined the associated client outcomes and the impact of the training on severity ratings of subsequent referrals.

RESULTS

Tasmanian trainers trained participants to provide behavioural services that met the same professional standards. Client behavioural outcome data showed significant improvement. Referral data showed decreases in severity ratings.

CONCLUSIONS

The trainer of trainers process is effective in training staff to meet defined professional standards, including desired client outcomes, and to effectively make positive behaviour support accessible to a large number of people.

Nutrition knowledge, attitude and practice of teachers in rehabilitation centres in northern Malaysia

INTRODUCTION

Persons with disabilities (PWD) are susceptible to malnutrition. Caregivers or teachers in rehabilitation centres may not be adequately trained in nutrition management of PWD. The aims of this study were (i) to assess the nutrition knowledge, attitude and practice among teachers in community-based rehabilitation centres for PWD; and (ii) to evaluate changes in the nutrition knowledge and attitude of the teachers before and after exposure to a training workshop on nutrition management for PWD.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a guided self-administered Nutrition Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Questionnaire on Persons with Disabilities (KAP-nOKU), among a convenience sample of 210 teachers. Forty-five of them further participated in a nutrition training workshop and completed the post-test evaluation on knowledge and attitude of the same measures.

RESULTS

At baseline, the teachers' average knowledge, attitude and practice scores were 13.80 +/- 3.73 for knowledge (below 50th percentile); 51.49 +/- 4.08 for attitude (above 75th percentile); and 48.08 +/- 3.61 for practice (between 50th and 75th percentile). There was significant positive correlations between knowledge and attitude (r=0.343, p<0.05), as well as between attitude and practice (r=0.147, p<0.05). After exposure to a 3-day nutrition workshop, significant improvements in the teachers' knowledge and attitude were observed, whereby teachers' knowledge score increased from 14.20 +/- 3.80 to 25.38 +/- 2.36 and from 51.16 +/- 3.97 to 55.20 +/- 4.41 for attitude (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Nutrition intervention was associated with improvement in short term knowledge and attitude of the teachers. Sustainable interventional strategies are needed to enhance the nutrition knowledge and skills of teachers of PWD.

An analysis of the Orthopaedic In-Training Examination rehabilitation section

OBJECTIVE

One subject tested by the Orthopaedic In-Training Examination (OITE) is rehabilitation. Our purpose was to analyze the OITE's rehabilitation section to (1) identify the rehabilitation subjects that are tested, (2) evaluate trainee performance on this section, and (3) evaluate the literature cited for this section as an aide to the trainee preparation for future OITE examinations.

DESIGN

This study included OITE examinations from 2004 through 2009. The rehabilitation sections of these examinations were analyzed for content, type of questions asked (taxonomy 1: direct recall; taxonomy 2: diagnosis; taxonomy 3: evaluation/decision making and development of a treatment plan), and literature cited. The mean score in the rehabilitation section of the OITE from 2004 to 2009 was also evaluated, and literature citations were tabulated.

SETTING

Orthopaedic surgery residency.

RESULTS

In the 2004-2009 OITE examinations, a total of 1619 questions were administered, of which 53 (3.3%) related to rehabilitation. The most common rehabilitation questions assessed knowledge of prosthetic/orthotics (20.8%) and neuro-orthopedics (20.8%). Other questions addressed amputation (18.9%), physical therapy treatment and outcomes (18.9%), rehabilitation terminology (9.4%), and spinal cord injury (7.7%). Most frequently, the questions evaluated the trainee's direct recall of the subject (51%), evaluation/decision making and development of a treatment plan (30.1%), and diagnosis (18.9%). The mean score in the rehabilitation section of the OITE from 2004 through 2009 was 54.1% (range, 40% to 77.8%). A total of 53 references was used. The 3 most common references were the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery-American Volume (10), Orthopaedic Knowledge Update (volumes 7 through 9) (8), and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research (7).

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, our study is the first to analyze the rehabilitation section of the OITE. Our results will help the trainee prepare for the examination by focusing on the appropriate content and literature.

Evaluating allied health inpatient rehabilitation educational materials in terms of health literacy

The purpose of this project was to assess and adapt inpatient rehabilitation educational materials in terms of reading level. Low health literacy has been shown to negatively impact health. Little health literacy research has been focused on rehabilitation settings. Written patient education materials were collected then analyzed for reading level. Focus groups were held with allied health practitioners to develop a plan to adapt them. A final focus group of former inpatient rehabilitation users was conducted to explore the end users perceptions of the original and revised materials. 90 pieces of patient education material were assessed. The average reading level of the original materials was 16th grade. A subset of 20 documents was chosen for revision. The average reading level was lowered to 5th grade with a range from 2nd to 8th. Clear communication for patient educational materials is a crucial first step to providing the best client-centered rehabilitation care. Vocabulary words, text formatting and "need to know" versus "nice to know" information were the most common problems in the original documents.

[Postgraduate studies on reflexotherapy: prospects of improved methods of rehabilitation]

Formation adaptive effect of reflexology is one of the most important non-specific mechanisms of action to ensure implementation of its sacrificial, sanohenetichnoho and preventive effects. Today, basic education in acupuncture should focus on common international standards, including anatomical, physiological, biochemical and biophysical basis. Based on primary specialization of reflexology should be in continuous improvement of the methods of acupuncture in various fields of clinical medicine aggregate of not less than 350 hours, which is usually carried out intermittently for several years.

[Teaching rehabilitation in neurology for general practitioners of family medicine]

In the article the educational and pedagogical and organizational measures designed and implemented in practice staff of the Department of Neurology and reflexology to improve the training of doctors cycle "general practice family medicines".

OBJECTIVE

To optimize teaching process for doctors neurology "General practice - family medicine". We recommend using the following methods for diagnosing the level of training of cadets: Control of practical skills--the ability to explore the neurological status and interpret it in different neurological diseases, questionnaires, computer tests, solving situational problems.

Development of an ICF-based patient education program

OBJECTIVE

To describe the development of an ICF-based patient education program, to present the results of its pilot test and to present the adaptations and final version of the program.

METHODS

The education program was developed in five steps: (1) definition of relevant areas of functioning, (2) development of strategies to enhance self-efficacy in these areas, (3) development of material and instructions, (4) definition of modules and setting and (5) performance of a pilot test targeting acceptability and feasibility of the program.

RESULTS

Eleven stroke patients were enrolled in the pilot test. The intervention was well accepted on the part of participants. The developed patient education program is structured in three modules. Module 1 targets to increase patients' understanding of their current level of functioning. Module 2 targets to identify concrete problems and corresponding solutions regarding limited areas. Module 3 is a refresher session.

CONCLUSION

Feasibility and acceptability of the intervention were verified and a final version of the patient education program was developed. The effectiveness of the program will be evaluated in a randomized controlled trial.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Due to the universality of the ICF and availability of ICF tools, it is possible to adapt the intervention to different chronic conditions.

Classroom learning environment in Pakistan Institute of Prosthetic and Orthotic Sciences: students' perspective

BACKGROUND

In 2009 the ISPO team conducted an analysis of the student performance at Pakistan Institute of Prosthetic and Orthotic Sciences (PIPOS) and concluded the situation 'unsatisfactory'. This study aims to explore the opinions of the current students regarding the nature of the classroom learning climate at PIPOS.

METHODS

This survey was carried out in 2010 at PIPOS, Peshawar. The data was collected on a self adapted questionnaire based on a literature review. It was distributed among the 48 students. The data was considered non-parametric categorical, hence contingency table statistics is applied in descriptive format. The statistics were analysed at 95% CI.

RESULTS

The replies reveal that the variables tested were imperative and it was appalling that the majority went for second score 'Fair' while fewer were in grade 'Good'.

CONCLUSION

PIPOS stands low in the ISPO 2010 report, with a high student failure rate due to issues related to curriculum and teaching methodology. There is a lot to improve relating the students' level up to the international standards.

Clinical training and competency guidelines for using robotic devices

With the increasing popularity of robotic devices in rehabilitation centers worldwide (e.g. Lokomat(®), ZeroG(®), ReoGo, InMotion 2.0, and Biodex System 4), there is a need for guidelines to ensure proper training and evaluation of therapists on the safe and effective use of these devices. Here, we present training tools and guidelines that were based on the recommendations of several device manufacturers and a user-group made up of clinicians and therapists. The training tools consist of a detailed user manual, clinical manual, hand-on training, video training and web based training tools. We also present procedures for evaluating user competency after they have completed detailed training. We believe that the comprehensive training and competency evaluation guidelines presented here will help ensure that rehabilitation robotic devices are used properly. This in turn will lead to more effective interventions and reduce the likelihood of injury.

Developing behavioural services to meet defined standards within a national system of specialist education services

In response to increasing demand for more accountability and improved outcomes in the provision of behavioural services, Specialist Education Services (SES) in New Zealand employed the trainer of trainers programme developed by the Institute for Applied Behaviour Analysis (IABA). The goal was to develop a national training team capable of training SES staff to carry out assessments and develop support plans that could meet defined standards. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of this trainer of trainers project. The primary methods of evaluation included the pre-post training comparisons of trainees' functional assessments and positive behaviour support plans, against 140 defined criteria. The results of this project indicated that the SES national training team was able to train SES staff to meet the same standards of service delivery as the external IABA trainers. Further, a Periodic Service Review (PSR) system was implemented to insure that service standards could be maintained at a high level. A major conclusion reached in this study was that a trainer of trainer approach appears to be effective in preparing large numbers of educational personnel to meet the increasing demands by schools for professionals to meet a high standard of service delivery.