Journal of allied health
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Journal of allied health · Jan 2007
What health care providers know (and need to know) about palliative care.
Health care education has been widely criticized for not providing training in end-of-life care. Despite calls from various scientific and professional organizations for formal educational improvement, most education in this area is "on the job." The current project is a secondary analysis of a surveyed convenience sample (n = 608) of health care providers in Kansas to determine knowledge, background, perceptions, and opinions about pain management and end-of-life care. ⋯ In addition, they state a need for increased support from insurers and legal and regulatory agencies to provide an acceptable standard of care. Providers responding to the survey also believe there is a significant need for patient education in this area.
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Journal of allied health · Jan 2007
Influence of an information literacy course on students' information search behavior.
The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of an information literacy course on students' information gathering behavior. ⋯ The introduction of an information literacy course did influence the information gathering behavior of students. Students showed an increased reliance on peer-reviewed references.
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Journal of allied health · Jan 2007
Are physical therapy clinical instructors teaching the Institute of Medicine core competencies? An exploratory investigation using student perceptions.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has recommended instituting clinical education reforms to ensure all health profession graduates acquire five core competencies; providing patient-centered care, working in interdisciplinary teams, employing evidence-based practice, applying quality improvement and utilizing informatics. The IOM has identified 28 specific skills associated with these competencies. This qualitative, exploratory study was conducted to begin to examine the extent to which physical therapy clinical instructors provide students with instruction the students perceived as promoting the acquisition of these skills. ⋯ This study supports the need for the profession of physical therapy to delineate formal and explicit clinical education instructional content and strategies to promote students' acquisition of the IOM core competency skills.
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Journal of allied health · Jan 2006
Randomized Controlled TrialManaging post-therapy fatigue for cancer survivors using energy conservation training.
This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of energy conservation training to help post-therapy cancer survivors manage their fatigue. Twelve post-therapy cancer survivors were randomly assigned to an energy conservation training or usual care control (6 in each group). Participants in the intervention group received 1 to 2 hours of individual, face-to-face energy conservation training from an occupational therapist followed by once-a-week telephone monitoring sessions in the subsequent three weeks. ⋯ Findings demonstrate partial support for the effectiveness of energy conservation training in helping post-therapy cancer survivors manage their fatigue. Energy conservation training seems to be a viable strategy for managing cancer-related fatigue, though its efficacy is modest. Incorporating specific energy restoration strategies such as relaxation and meditation for future research may help advance the growing body of knowledge in symptom management for post-therapy cancer survivors.
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Journal of allied health · Jan 2006
Core competencies for health care professionals: what medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy share.
This paper describes the amalgamation of the core competencies identified for medicine, nursing, physical therapy, and occupational therapy and the "harmonization" of these competencies into a framework for interprofessional education. The study was undertaken at a Canadian university with a Faculty of Health Sciences comprised of three schools (namely, medicine, nursing, and rehabilitation therapy). ⋯ It particularly highlights the relevance of cross-disciplinary competency teaching and 360-degree evaluation in teams. Most importantly, it provides a launch pad for clarifying performance standards and expectations in interdisciplinary learning.