Date of Award
2007
Document Type
Scholarly Project
Degree Name
Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)
Department
Occupational Therapy
First Advisor
Michael Atkinson
Keywords
Evidence-Based Medicine; Parkinson Disease -- therapy
Abstract
The therapeutic benefit of occupational therapy with Parkinson's disease has not been studied in great detail. The purpose of this Scholarly Project was to provide extensive and comprehensive evidence-based information about Parkinson's disease as it applies to occupational therapists. This information was utilized to generate clinical guidelines in the form of a user-friendly manual meant for practicing OTs in treating Parkinson's disease.
An extensive literature review was performed using PubMed to determine current evidence-based practice that occupational therapists and other rehabilitation therapists were currently using. Following the review of literature, a needs assessment was completed per survey directed towards practicing OTs. The goal of the survey was to validate the need for these guidelines throughout the country.
The user-friendly manual is based on the Ecological Model of Human Performance using establish/restore, adapt/modify and prevent as intervention strategies. The product is titled "Guidelines for Occupational Therapists in Treating Parkinson's disease." It consists of four portions, the first focuses on a brief introduction to the disease, the next explains the general neuroscience behind the disease, the third portion gives a brief overview of medical interventions including pharmacological and surgical.
The fourth part of the product consists of the evidence-based guidelines for OTs to follow when treating persons with Parkinson's disease. Occupational therapy offers many benefits to persons with Parkinson's disease, including modification and/or adaptation of activities of daily living CADLs) with or without the use of adaptive equipment. Other intervention areas OTs may focus on are: therapeutic exercise routines, caregiver education, joint movement coordination, energy conservation and social skills · training. This user-friendly manual will provide occupational therapists with the necessary information to treat persons with Parkinson's disease using evidence based guidelines.
Recommended Citation
Stubbings, Gordon and Vliem, Tiffany, "Parkinson's Disease and Occupational Therapy: Evidence Based Practice" (2007). Occupational Therapy Capstones. 311.
https://commons.und.edu/ot-grad/311