OT Potential Podcast | Occupational Therapy CEUs

Soft neurological signs are a hot topic in the OT community right now. And I can see why: soft signs give us a window into all the happening at a biological level in many common conditions. And, they may be impacting more patients your caseload than you may realize. 

This week's article on a specific soft neurological sign in ADHD gives you a window into where the research is at with soft neurological signs—as well as their potential future clinical applications.

To discuss this article with fellow OT practitioners please consider joining the OT Potential Club.

Kaneko, M., Yamashita, Y., & Iramina, K. (2016). Quantitative evaluation system of soft neurological signs for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Sensors, 16(1), 116.

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Dementia is poised to present the most profound global health challenge of the 21st century. The incidence of dementia is skyrocketing, and I believe OTs have a vital role to play in caring for these patients.

This week's article is an extremely comprehensive summary of dementia care—and it covers all sorts of evidence about prevention, screening, and intervention.

This article is an important read for anyone who works with adults and/or has a loved one impacted by this disease.

To discuss this article please join us at the OT Potential Club.

Livingston, G., Sommerlad, A., Orgeta, V., Costafreda, S. G., Huntley, J., Ames, D., . . . Mukadam, N. (2017). Dementia prevention, intervention, and care. Lancet (London, England), 390(10113), 2673-2734.

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Have you ever stopped and asked yourself that million-dollar question: How do we incorporate all this cool new research into our OT practice?

This week's discussion is all about knowledge translation, and it will present a somewhat sad reality: we're not exactly sure of the best ways to translate knowledge into practice.

But, there are some great gems in here about active versus passive learning. This is a very important topic to explore if we want to keep our profession evidence-based and relevant.

To discuss this article please join us at the OT Potential Club.

Jones, C. A., Roop, S. C., Pohar, S. L., Albrecht, L., & Scott, S. D. (2014). Translating Knowledge in Rehabilitation: Systematic Review. Physical Therapy, 95(4), 663–677. doi: 10.2522/ptj.20130512

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Anytime we compare the outcomes of patients receiving OT vs. no therapy, we have a vested interest—we clearly want to see that the OT group has better outcomes.

But, the harsh reality is that this is not always the case.

When we run into examples where OT doesn't seem to be effective, we all need to all step into a growth mindset and confront this failure head-on.

There is a lot to learn from this article, which looks at OT vs no therapy for mild to moderate Parkinson's Disease, and I think it might be one of the most important articles for us to take in this year.

To discuss this article please join us at the OT Potential Club.

Also, as mentioned in the podcast, here is our blog post with the ongoing best price on MedBridge.

Clarke, C., Walker, M., Sackley, C., Patel, S., Ives, N., Dowling, F. and Woolley, R. (2016). Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy and Mild to Moderate Parkinson Disease.. JAMA Neurology, 73(7), p.894.

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We have already seen our fair share of technology-related research on the podcast, but this week's article introduces a type of tech that we have not yet discussed: exergaming.

This particular article looks at exergaming for patients with MS, but it also brought up larger questions about the role of OT in exercise and habit formation—and, ultimately, in identity transformation.

To discuss this article please join us at the OT Potential Club.

Also, here is the blog post mentioned in the article: OT vs PA: Which to be?

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Plow, M., & Finlayson, M. (2013). A Qualitative Study Exploring the Usability of Nintendo Wii Fit among Persons with Multiple Sclerosis. Occupational Therapy International, 21(1), 21–32. doi: 10.1002/oti.1345

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I believe that the future of occupational therapy will involve more intentional incorporation of learning strategies into our treatment sessions.

That's why I think it is very important that we all pay attention to the evidence that is piling up behind the CO-OP Approach, which is a systematized learning strategy.

I'm personally new to this specific approach, so I'm really excited for you all to weigh in on what you think of it.

To discuss this article please join us at the OT Potential Club.

Scammell, E. M., Bates, S. V., Houldin, A., & Polatajko, H. J. (2016). The Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP): A scoping review. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 83(4), 216–225. doi: 10.1177/0008417416651277

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Here in the United States, OTs are facing some pretty disheartening reimbursement changes.

But, this week's article seems to lay the groundwork for arguing that instead of restricting OT, we should be seeking to expand the role of occupational therapy practitioners.

I found a lot of hope in this article, and I'll be very curious to hear what you think!

To discuss this article please join us at the OT Potential Club.

Saxon, R., Gray, M., & Oprescu, F. (2014). Extended roles for allied health professionals: an updated systematic review of the evidence. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 479. doi: 10.2147/jmdh.s66746

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Getting the right patients into therapy at the right time is the first step to great OT care.

But, the research we've explored around this topic has suggested that we have a lot of potential for improvement in this area.

This week's article looks at therapy referrals for older adults with cancer, and I hope it will serve as a conversation starter in the Club. We absolutely must look into the broader challenge of connecting with patients who could potentially benefit from our services.

To discuss this article please join us at the OT Potential Club.

You can read the article here: The prevalence of potentially modifiable functional deficits and the subsequent use of occupational and physical therapy by older adults with cancer.

Pergolotti, M., Deal, A. M., Lavery, J., Reeve, B. B., & Muss, H. B. (2015). The prevalence of potentially modifiable functional deficits and the subsequent use of occupational and physical therapy by older adults with cancer. Journal of Geriatric Oncology, 6(3), 194–201. doi: 10.1016/j.jgo.2015.01.004

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This week, we are looking at promising research behind a cognitive rehabilitation program for Parkinson's. 

And, I'll just skip to the good news—the gains in cognitive rehab actually translated to increased functional abilities, which says to me that this is important research for us all to consider.

To discuss this article please join us at the OT Potential Club.

You can read the article here: Improving functional disability and cognition in Parkinson’s disease randomized controlled trial.

Pena, J., Ibarretxe-Bilbao, N., Garcia-Gorostiaga, I., Gomez-Beldarrain, M. A., Diez-Cirarda, M., & Ojeda, N. (2014). Improving functional disability and cognition in Parkinson disease: Randomized controlled trial. Neurology, 83(23), 2167–2174. doi: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000001043

Also, Happy World OT Day to my fellow occupational therapy practitioners. On the blog this week, we updated our Guide to Occupational Therapy for you to share with your communities.

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This article subverted my expectations, to say the least. The researchers looked at the effects of early mobilization in the ICU, and their findings might surprise you, too.

At the same time, reading this article left me feeling more confident than ever about occupational therapy's unique role in helping ICU patients regain function. (Not to mention, our overall focus on function in all settings!)

To discuss this article please join us at the OT Potential Club.

Effect of early rehabilitation during intensive care unit stay on functional status: Systematic review and meta-analysis 

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