2018 Annual MOTA Conference Posters

Effects of Meditative Movements for Persons with Chronic Health Conditions

Course Description: The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of Ellie’s Meditative Movements (EMM) on persons with chronic conditions. The quasi-experimental study utilized a pretest, posttest, and follow-up design. Twenty four participants completed the intervention. Results showed significant impact on symptoms of anxiety, depression, fatigue, emotional/functional well-being, and quality of life. EMM may contribute to improved symptom management and quality of life for persons with chronic conditions. Results support the use of EMM as a new intervention strategy in occupational therapy, which enhances symptom management and quality of life for persons living with chronic health conditions. If the beneficial effects of EMM are supported by a randomized clinical trial, it could have a major impact on occupational therapy practice.

Karlee Davis, OTR/L is a recent graduate of the Occupational Therapy Program at the University of Minnesota. Karlee has 5 years of experience in healthcare as a recreational therapist specializing in working with combat veterans confronting symptoms of PTSD and TBI. Karlee looks forward to continuing her passion of serving veterans as an occupational therapist in the near future.

Virgil Mathiowetz, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA Virgil Mathiowetz is an Associate Professor for the Program in Occupational Therapy at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Mathiowetz has a long standing research interest in fatigue management for individuals with chronic conditions.

Educating Medical Students on the Roles of Occupational and Physical Therapy

Course Description: An evaluation of the impact of a 2-hour educational workshop on medical students’ familiarity with roles and benefits of occupational and physical therapy and their confidence in referring to these services. Thirty-seven fourth-year medical students participated. After the didactic section, the students discussed potential patient referrals using relevant case scenarios and the responsibilities of therapists for their case-patients. Students completed before/after surveys assessing perceived knowledge and perspectives on the value of the workshop for their careers. A follow-up survey was sent at 3 months. From before to after the workshop, students showed significant improvements in their familiarity with occupational and physical therapy services and in their confidence to appropriately refer to these services (P<.001). The students found the workshop helpful for their future as physicians.

Hannah Y. Oldenburg, OTR/L is an occupational therapist and fieldwork educator at Mayo Clinic-Rochester. She obtained a Masters of Arts in Occupational Therapy from St. Catherine University in 2012. Currently, she is a Doctorate in Education candidate at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. She is passionate about clinical research specific to the topics of clinical reasoning of rehabilitation students as well as advocacy research within the occupational therapy profession. She enjoys spending time with family and traveling in her spare time.

Do Occupational and Upper Extremity Function Change Following Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy?

Course Description:  Few studies have assessed changed in pre and post-outcomes, like grip strength and GMFM score to determine the impact of post-SDR rehab.  The purpose of this study is to thoroughly assess functional changes in daily occupations following SDR by comparing outcomes collected pre and post-surgery. The literature on gait, tone and lower extremity range of motion outcomes post-SDR is robust.  However, there is a gap in the literature surrounding the outcome of OT interventions post-SDR.    Out data looks at function at admission and upon discharge from IP rehab, this ranges from a four to six week stay.

Erin Ballou, MS, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist and Clinical Educator on the Outpatient Rehab team at Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare.  She has been involved in assessing patients pre-SDR. Lydia Houle, is a 2018 graduate from the University of Wisconsin Lacrosse.  She joined Gillette Children's Specialty healthcare as a research intern.  Lydia aspires to become an occupational therapist.

Heather Forst, MA, OTR/L CBIS, is an occupational therapist and Clinical Educator on the Inpatient Rehab team at Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare.  She has been involved in assessing and treating patient's following selective dorsal rhizotomies for 10 tears.  Heather has a strong interest in evaluating the functional changes children make following SDR.

A Systems Approach to the Development of Feeding Skills and Feeding Disorders

Course Description: This poster presents a comprehensive systems approach to the understanding of feeding development in children with and without disabilities, providing information useful for therapists' decision-making process to facilitate occupational performance in feeding, an area of Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). The comprehensive perspective is described as a series of vertical developmental sequences in which oral and fine motor skills are interwoven horizontally with corresponding gross motor, visual, cognitive, communicative, social, and emotional levels, with emphasis on how feeding impacts, and is impacted by, all those domains. This perspective thus includes consideration of the feeding relationships between children/caregivers, and the infant/family professional's role as facilitator of these relationships. Tables with video captures of case study examples illustrate assessment procedures and demonstrations of intervention strategies.

Rhoda Erhardt, MA, OTR/L, FAOTA received her B.S. in occupational therapy from the University of Illinois, and her M.S. in child development and family relations from North Dakota State University. She was trained in pediatric Neuro-Developmental Treatment of cerebral palsy (NDT) in London, England. The former director of the Easter Seal Mobile Therapy Unit in Fargo, North Dakota, she is currently in private practice in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, providing evaluation and consultation services to a variety of health agencies, educational systems, and national corporations, as well as presenting workshops throughout the world. She has served on the Editorial Board of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, the first licensure board of North Dakota, was enrolled in the AOTA Roster of Fellows in 1983, and has been a member of the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association since she moved to Minnesota in 1992. Her publications include books, chapters, journal articles, assessments, videotapes, and DVDs on topics such as normal and atypical development of hand function, hand preference, handwriting, vision, visual-perceptual-motor function, eye-hand coordination, and feeding in children with cerebral palsy and learning disabilities.