Identifying Facilitators of and Barriers to Referrals to Occupational Therapy Services by Israeli Cancer Health Care Professionals: A Qualitative Study.

Importance: Persons living with and beyond cancer (PLWBC) are rarely referred to occupational therapy services despite their functional difficulties. An understanding of the barriers to and facilitators of occupational therapy referrals from the perspective of cancer health care professionals could help minimize referral gaps.

Objective: To explore cancer health care professionals' perspectives on and knowledge of occupational therapy's role in cancer care, identify the barriers, and explore solutions to optimize referrals.

Validity of the Sock Test for Sitting Balance: A Functional Sitting Balance Assessment.

There is a relationship between sitting balance and self-care functioning, but no occupation-based sitting balance assessment. The objective of this study was to determine whether the Sock Test for Sitting Balance (STSB) is a valid balance assessment for use by therapists in acute care. Results of the STSB were compared with those of the Adapted Functional Reach (AFR), the Functional Independence Measure (FIM™) chair transfer, and the Kansas University Sitting Balance Scale (KUSBS), in both hospitalized and healthy participants.

Occupational Therapy's Role in Cancer Survivorship as a Chronic Condition.

Improved medical care has resulted in a documented increase in cancer survivors in the United States. Cancer survivors face challenges in participation across all facets of life as a result of the cancer and subsequent cancer treatments. Long-term and late-term sequelae can result in impairments in neurological systems, decreased stamina, loss of range of motion, and changes in sensation and cognition.

Effectiveness of Interventions Within the Scope of Occupational Therapy Practice to Improve Motor Function of People With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review.

After traumatic brain injury (TBI), many people experience significant motor function impairments. To help occupational therapy practitioners make informed decisions in choosing treatment strategies to improve clients' motor function, we undertook a systematic review and synthesized applicable findings of intervention studies. Of 2,306 articles identified in the literature search, we reviewed 47 full-text articles, of which 16 met approved criteria.

Validating a measure to assess factors that affect assistive technology use by students with disabilities in elementary and secondary education.

Purpose/aim: The purpose of this study was to measure the predictive validity, internal consistency and clinical utility of the Matching Assistive Technology to Child & Augmentative Communication Evaluation Simplified (MATCH-ACES) assessment.

Methods: Twenty-three assistive technology team evaluators assessed 35 children using the MATCH-ACES assessment. This quasi-experimental study examined the internal consistency, predictive validity and clinical utility of the MATCH-ACES assessment.

Identification of mild cognitive impairments in cancer survivors.

ABSTRACT Changes in cognitive functioning are a frequent complaint of persons diagnosed and treated for cancer. The purposes of this study were to explore the feasibility of the use of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for identifying mild cognitive impairment in persons who are cancer survivors as well as begin to identify the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment in cancer survivors as identified by the MoCA. Thirty-eight cancer survivors participated in this study, and 14 scored below the cutoff score of 26 on the MoCA, which indicated mild cognitive impairment.

Pulmonary rehabilitation improves functional status in oncology patients.

Objective: To determine if participation in a pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) program improved the functional and physiologic status of oncology patients with chronic symptoms of shortness of breath, fatigue, and/or exercise intolerance.

Design: Retrospective chart review.

Setting: Comprehensive cancer center.

Voluntary neuromuscular activation is enhanced when paired with a mechanical stimulus to human plantar soles.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if the location and the timing relative to muscle activation onset, of a mechanical stimulus applied to the soles impacted the neuromuscular activation associated with a voluntary movement. The subjects completed a series of dorsiflexion or plantarflexion movements during which a stimulus was applied to either the heel or ball of the foot at one of three time periods relative to the initiation of the agonist muscle. Surface electromyography from the tibialis anterior and soleus was collected during the movements.