DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Clinical Medicine

Physical/Occupational Therapy—Certified Hand Therapy

 

Rebecca Rouse, Glenelg High School

GT Mentorship/Internship: Mr. Ashcraft

16 February 2011

 

Physiotherapy Associates Clarksville, MD

Nicole Bickhart, OT, CHT

 Ron Spicer, PT, Coordinator

 Tracey Herzberger, OT, CHT

 Anne Edmonds, PT, CHT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

Title Page………………………………………………………………………….1

Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………2

Abstract……………………………………………………………………………3

Experimental Design………………………………………………………………4

Introduction……………………………………………………………………….5

Methods…………………………………………………………………………...5

Results…………………………………………………………………………….6

Discussion…………………………………………………………………………7

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………...7

Tables/Graphs……………………………………………………………………..9

Recommendations………………………………………………………………...10

Acknowledgments………………………………………………………………..11

References (Annotated Bibliography)…………………………………………….12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abstract

Physical/occupational therapy involves specific procedures for rehabilitation according to each injury; in order to subscribe the most effective and time managing therapy procedures for each case, physical/occupational therapists could invest in an online database to collaborate on the most effective procedures for individual cases along with groupings of several different common injuries. This idea, if successful, could redefine programs of physical/occupational therapy given out to the public by professionals in a way that eliminates and decreases chance of prescribing unsuccessful rehabilitation methods based on experience and intelligence from professionals globally.

As creating a forum is outside the boundaries of the implications of the class, data has been gathered from other therapy forums/sites and also from professionals strictly from an anecdotal standpoint which show through statements that with proper advertising, a site like this could increase successfulness of not only programs of therapy but also of clinics’ business as a whole. Data has shown that sites like the one described have helped reach successfulness for specific cases by providing information on rare injuries performed at other clinics in order to provide rehabilitation in all clinics involved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Experimental Design

 

Isolated Independent Variable:

The efficiency of patient results through feedback from therapists involved along with patient feedback done electronically or through forms within rehabilitation centers.

 

Control Group:

The therapists involved.

 

Dependent Variable:

The efficiency of an online database in improving medical practices.

 

Thesis:

The use of this database will affect the satisfaction and efficiency of patients and the results they receive due to the collaboration of therapists sharing their practices online.

 
Overall Project Intention:

Physical therapy for each injury involves specific procedures for rehabilitation. In order to subscribe the most effective and time managing therapy for each case, physical therapists could invest in an online database to collaborate and experiment on the most effective procedures for individual cases along with the groupings of several different injuries/cases.

 

Audience:

The intended audience of the project is both the therapists and patients locally at first. If the forum was created and proved successful, therapists who use the site would benefit as they would learn what has worked for other professionals for common cases of injuries. Mostly however, patients involved in physical therapy would benefit immensely as therapists would be able to coordinate and put forth effective and time manageable programs. The result is intended to help therapists communicate in order to prescribe the most effective means of physical therapy to each patient. The effects will be determined this year by the data gathered from other successful sites along with quotes on opinion of the site from local professionals. If carried out in the future, effects would be determined by the amount of participation in the forum itself.

According to Internet Users World Stats, internet usage in North America has risen 251.5% in the past ten years (2000 to 2010). The location of information and research no longer originates from textbooks and company meetings but instead communication comes mostly from the internet. Sites such as DavisPTnetwork and RehabWorld have previously aimed to reach the professionals involved in physical and occupational therapy and have been moderately successful.

            Professionals involved in medical studies and practices tend to communicate between one another for advice and input before applying medical procedures on patients in order to increase success rates. In physical/occupational therapy many of the therapists within a single facility discuss procedures for specific cases/patients when searching for the right method of rehabilitation.

            Several databases for physical and occupational therapy benefits have been posted and used in the past in order to supply information on facilities in the area, degrees, and opportunities as far as therapy is concerned. According to research however a forum that supplies information on different injuries from the input of professionals has yet to be constructed and tested. The idea is that the database would be composed by parts of the body and broken into subsections based on injuries and cases where professionals with experience and degrees would put forth their input on rehabilitation in a question-answer format so that therapists with questions could get answers from other professionals in order to prescribe the most effective means of rehabilitation to specific cases. Data for whether or not this idea could be successful has been gathered by professionals as anecdotal points as the implications of the class limit the ability to create and test a running public online forum because of the technological and legal extent of a medical site. The project could be replicated however with proper instruments and tested for effectiveness through the use and feedback from those who participate in the database.

            Nicole Bickhart from Physiotherapy Associates states, “many sites with a breakup of injuries through sections of the body have been created however input from professionals for me are limited to this facility and who I know; an ask and tell would be an interesting new way to get support”. The idea of correlation between therapists shows a positive relationship in thought from professionals as a new way of going about receiving input and help electronically through a public online database. DavisPTnetwork, a site similar to a public online forum that allows therapists to coordinate with one another as previously discussed, was designed to allow therapists to “meet other practitioners to share ideas, pose questions, and discuss issues” and has shown positive usage since its beginning and copyright in 2008. Brian Weisman from Life Fitness Physical Therapy practices rehabilitation on his patients with reference to textbooks and a site on the online social network Facebook that contains both studied information along with comments and feedback from anyone who views and has access to the physical therapy and anatomy site. Online databases have a positive correlation with participation from the public as time progresses however the existence of many sites already could have a negative effect on the usage and popularity of a new site.

            Statistics show that internet usage by the public has increased 3.515 times as much since the year 2000 and is predicted to triple in amount in ten years time thus the need for online databases to provide information has and will increase. The raging increase on internet usage could have a positive effect on the usage of a forum created for physical and occupational therapists when developed.

            Data proves that on online forum used for information has been successful thus making the prediction that an online forum used for physical and occupational therapists input will be successful is liable and legitimate. In Physiotherapy Associates in Clarksville, Maryland there are six to seven professionals containing either physical or occupational degrees with PhD’s or CHT degrees on top of that. Within the facility then that leaves only five to six options of professionals to discuss with on medical cases presented in the office each day and on top of that three of the six to seven work solely with hands, leaving each section then with only two to three other professionals to get input from. The three CHTs coordinate with one another on each case as discovering the most effective means of rehabilitation comes from research and experience however with an online forum built for therapists to coordinate with professionals in different areas with different experiences, clinics can be introduced to new, effective methods.

            Professionals around the area agree that a site like this could provide new information not available to them and could also be effective and successful based on the success rate of already existing sites that are similar. Because the use of the internet is increasing so rapidly communication and information is acquired most through the internet and less through books and meetings thus having systems of communication as an online database will supply more users and grasp a larger audience. The results prove mostly positive towards the success of a public online forum for physical and occupational therapists with the only negative being the existing sites as they already have a devoted audience.

            To conclude, from observations, having a method of correlating information between facilities rather than just between professionals within one facility may create a program of therapy that is both time manageable and effective. Professionals gain their knowledge based on personal experience/findings and schooling and when shared/compared with other professionals with different backgrounds it may define the most effective source of rehabilitation for specific and common cases.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tables/Graphs



debajyoti.net...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recommendations

 

            A student in future years may use this idea to carry out the actual forum with technological help using first the feedback from professionals presented as anecdotal points in the paper than furthering data with actual results. Results would be based on feedback from participants along with the usage of the website which could be noted every six months in order to see the increase in both visitors and participants. The project could be expanded by reaching out to patients and their opinions on their personal experiences at different facilities under different professionals that have participated in the online forum.

            This public online forum would be set up in subsections of the body then broken into different parts based on injuries and programs used to treat each. A section for posing questions would also be needed where professionals could record what case they need advice on and other participants could comment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acknowledgments

 

            A word of thanks for the advisory leadership and observation of Nicole Bckhart, OT, CHT, as primary mentor along with Anne Edmonds, PT, CHT, and Tracey Herzberger, OT, CHT, for professional input and demonstration. To Physiotherapy Associates in Clarksville Coordinator, Ron Spicer, PT, for providing mentorship opportunity and to my original personal therapist for introducing and following through as an advisory suggesting physical and occupational therapy as a topic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Banerjee, D. (n.d.). Global Population and Internet Users 2000-2020. In CEO, World Press, and More. Retrieved January, 2011, from debajyoti.net

Debajyoti Banerjee provides data on the number internet users over time describing the dramatic and rapid increase within the last decade and predictions for the next decade. Along with this description the author provides a chart that shows the ratio between the world’s population compared with the amount of internet users in 2000, currently in 2010, and as predicted for in the future in 2020. The chart demonstrates how the rise in internet marketing has and will continue to increase and thus helps show the significance of advertising and communication through the internet. As the amount of users increase so does the number of online businesses and marketing through the web rather than communication through any other means. The internet has become the world’s leading market; because of this, companies, businesses, and means of information are targeted by the most amount of people throughout the internet instead of published references. Knowledge of the rise in the internet could help any organization gain popularity and success. For the physical therapy industry, knowing the dramatic effects of the internet on the public could help both its professionals and patients in gaining knowledge on rehabilitation /.

Bickhart, Nicole. Personal interview. Nov. 2011. Nicole Bickhart went to Ohio
                State where she received a degree in Occupational Therapy followed by a
                Certified Hand Therapy degree later on; she now works in the hand therapy
                clinic at Physiotherapy Associates in Clarksville, Maryland. Nicole works
               with patients who have injured their hand or arm for rehabilitation either
               directly after the injury or following surgery. As a Certified Hand
               Therapist, Nicole also receives walk-ins for which she makes splints that
               stabilize joints as directed by a doctor. Nicole’s experience and skills in
               communication with people as acquired by becoming a therapist allow her to
               also be an excellent mentor. Speaking from experience Nicole believes that
               an online forum built for professionals to communicate with one another
               over the most effective means of rehabilitation could be successful and
               thrive in the advertisement and internet rich era. She already recognizes
               the broad idea from a site on the social network, Facebook, that provides
               information and research for physical and occupational therapists however
               has yet to find a site that allows communication in a message board format
               and approves the idea.

CAPTE Accredited Physical Therapist Education Programs. (2011). American Physical Therapy Association. Retrieved January, 2011, from American Physical Therapy Association website: www.apta.org...//s/‌acc_schools_map.cfm&process=3&type=pt

CAPTE Accredited Physical Therapist Education Programs is a site that provides a list of schools/that offer physical therapy degrees as given out by the American Physical Therapy Association. To receive a degree in physical therapy there are several requirements along with several different directions to go about receiving the degree. For each individual seeking a career in physical therapy there are many different options and paths to take; this site provides the options of universities to attend that offer a degree that will get one where they need to be. Depending upon the individual’s choice, a degree in physical therapy can be attained through either a master’s program, a PhD, or a five-year program. Each of these paths are offered at different universities thus it is necessary for all those interested in the career to find the right university based on their choice of going about getting a degree. This site provides all the information necessary as it breaks schools available into categories by states. When looking further into a specific school, the site provides information on each physical therapy program and what it entails, including the path of study and administrator involved.

DavisPTnetwork. (2008-2010). Retrieved January, 2011, from DavisPTnetwork database.

DavisPT network connects professionals involved in physical and occupational therapy/‌rehabilitation through the internet in order to provide a series of information, career opportunities, and communication services to practicing therapists. The cite also helps direct users to education for physical therapy through links to online degree centers along with a section for those interested in learning  about CE requirements and take online courses on the website. Another section of the database allows current, graduated therapists to connect with past colleagues and classmates and learn about the new trends and requirements set out each year that practicing therapist are to be aware of.  There is also a section where users can openly post questions that they can have answered by anyone else available so that members can receive comments and advice on whatever they are interested in. This site is helpful in the way it connects therapists from one clinic to another in order to receive advice and intelligence from other practicing medical professionals. However the site has no way of identifying the legitimacy of its members as professionals and thus cannot define advice and comments as successful and safe rather but may however instead have  negative outcomes.

Herzberger, Tracey. Personal interview. Dec. 2010. Tracey Herzberger is an
     Occupational Therapist and a Certified Hand Therapist employed at
     Physiotherapy Associates in Clarksville, Maryland under coordinator Ron
     Spicer. Tracey works with doctors Peter Innis, Michael Murphy, and Higgins
     to rehabilitate hand injuries after surgery; she also works directly with
     patients’ injuries that don’t need surgery. Tracey creates a series of
     splints for the arm, elbow, and hand as she was trained to do becoming a
     Certified Hand Therapist. Tracey believes every physical or occupational
     therapist have their own way of doing things based on their experience and
     education and thus treat cases differently to achieve success rates at
     different time intervals or with different methods. She assesses each
     patient as an individual and takes significant effort to look through their
     past and current medical history in order to prescribe the correct program
     of therapy. In a mentorship Tracey is very useful as she describes what has
     happened to the patient and goes through their recovery path in order to
     educate the student on every aspect of the case. Her experience and
     knowledge could be useful to anyone interested in the medical field as her
     past employment with spinal injuries gives her a wide range of experience.

Internet Users Statistics: The Internet Big Picture. (2000-2010). Internet World Stats: Usage and Population Statistics. Retrieved January, 2011, from Miniwatts Marketing Group website: www.internetworldstats.com

Internet World Stats: Usage and Population Statistics is a site that provides data in the form of charts based on the percentage of internet users in different regions of the world and its growth in the past decade in proportion with the increase in population and in comparison of the penetration of the population. According to the website internet usage has increased rapidly within the year 2000 until 2010 ranging from about 146% to 2360% leaving North American as the fifth highest country to increase percentage of internet users so dramatically. Worldwide the internet has become the most successful market in advertisement and a leader in means of research and information where communication is linked through the web and continues to become more and more electronically based over time. Most companies use this information and these statistics to advertise and communicate their facility over the internet in an effort to reach a greater audience and wider range of customers. This site could be helpful to any business or organization trying to not only advertise but also set up means of education and communication across professionals.

Life Fitness Physical Therapy . (2011). Retrieved January, 2011, from Heritage Digital  website: www.lifefitnesspt.com...

Life Fitness Physical Therapy is an example of a clinic striving for advertisement, marketing, and information through the internet as a site designed to allow customers/learn more and come in contact with the facility. They provide information on their clinic mostly and include a background on rehabilitation based on evidence that they provide as a service to those who need it. Life Fitness Physical Therapy provides in their website all of the information, contact numbers, available staff, forms, insurance information, etc. to show their customers exactly what to expect and how to go about getting involved in their facility. This site benefits the patients that gain knowledge and seek help through internet means and also helps advertise and attract patients—which is good for the business itself. The site however does not provide information to help benefit the professionals employed as therapists at their facility or include a section on rehabilitation and injuries in themselves but rather sticks to advertising instead.

RehabWorld.com. (1999). Retrieved January, 2011, from McGill website: www.rehabworld.com

RehabWorld.com is an earlier site created in order to provide visitors with information and links involved with the clinical medicine topic of therapy, from physical to occupational to mental to speech therapy. The forum is set up by section of therapy where under each are different subtopics that provide job opportunities and information regarding the profession and practice of different types of therapy. The final section of the forum provides businesses with the opportunity to advertise their clinic while search for new employees through a website created for therapy practices. For communication purposes the site has an email list where all participants may view other professionals that belong to and use the forum. This site could be successful and help professionals seeking job opportunities along with providing them with information broken into subtopics made strictly for professionals through a members-only format. Because the site is about ten years old however it lacks modern technological advances in that its communication section is limited to only the use of email.

 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.