Date Presented 04/02/2022 This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Veggies for Life (VFL) cu... more Date Presented 04/02/2022 This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Veggies for Life (VFL) curriculum and the implementation of healthier lifestyles through the increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and the use of adaptive tools, facilitating independence in meal preparation. Through the use of adaptive tools, healthy eating, and nutritional guides, participants demonstrated an increased maintenance of healthy lifestyle routines. Primary Author and Speaker: Reagan Collins Additional Authors and Speakers: Mary Isaacson, Jessica Dawn Tsotsoros Contributing Authors: Hartley Bowman, Marianna Wetherill
Measuring knowledge, acceptance, and perceptions of telehealth in an interprofessional curriculum for student nurse practitioners, occupational therapists, and physical therapists
The Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 2016
Using Social Simulation to Teach Rehabilitation Science Students About Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma Informed Care
Journal of allied health, 2020
Recent research has identified the relationships between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and... more Recent research has identified the relationships between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and adult adoption of health risk behaviors, negative health outcomes, and measures of well-being. Given these findings, it is important to consider training models that educate allied health students about the relevance of ACEs to adult health across a myriad of practice settings and equip them with the skills necessary to help patients with a history of ACEs. Physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) are key members of the health care team, well positioned to address ACEs with their patients. This study reports on the evaluation of an innovative simulation-based training program, Professional ACE-Informed Training for Health Professionals (PATH), conducted with 26 second-year PT and OT students. Pre- and post-training measures consisted of the General Self-Efficacy Scale, Adult Hope Scale, and a test of knowledge and familiarity with ACEs and trauma-informed care (TIC). Results ...
Promoting nutrition equity for individuals with physical challenges: A systematic review of barriers and facilitators to healthy eating
Preventive Medicine, 2021
Impaired mobility is the most common form of functional disability in the US, affecting one out o... more Impaired mobility is the most common form of functional disability in the US, affecting one out of every sixteen working-age adults. Little is known about the barriers to and facilitators of healthy eating among people with impaired mobility (PWIM), who are at increased risk for diet-related chronic disease. The pathways by which impaired mobility influence dietary intake are unclear, yet likely involve a complex interplay between structural determinants of health and individual factors. To help advance nutrition equity initiatives for PWIM, this systematic review aimed to qualitatively synthesize factors associated with dietary intake across four levels of ecologic influence. An interprofessional team devised a comprehensive search strategy to identify these factors among working-age (18-64 years) PWIM. We queried Ovid MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase via Ovid for articles published between January 1, 1990 and April 25, 2021. Twelve studies met our review criteria. We classified factors within one of four ecologic levels of influence: individual, social, environmental, and policy/program. Most studies disproportionately reported on personal level factors of influence, with less information on other levels of influence. This systematic review is an important first step for informing the design of evidence-based strategies to support healthy eating among PWIM. However, it also reveals a wide chasm in the needed information to adequately bridge structural determinants of this nutrition divide. More studies are needed that include rigorous measures of dietary intake and that aim to elicit how social, environmental, and policy-level factors contribute to dietary disparities among PWIM.
The Professor Paws Project: Innovative Strategies for Educating Middle and High School Students About OT and Service Dogs
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2020
Date Presented 03/27/20 OTs and service dogs specialize in helping people to live their lives as ... more Date Presented 03/27/20 OTs and service dogs specialize in helping people to live their lives as independently as possible. The purpose of this study was to determine if a program combining service-dog education and information about careers in OT would improve understanding of service dogs and increase knowledge and peak interest in OT careers for 7th through 12th grade students. The Professor Paws Project model of combining service-dog education with OT career education is a successful model. Primary Author and Speaker: Mary Isaacson Additional Authors and Speakers: Kelsey Jarolim, Shelby Dickerson Contributing Authors: Ashley Rankin, Chan Hellman
Evaluation of a Simulation-Based Training Program on Childhood Trauma With OT Students
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2020
Date Presented 03/27/20 A simulation-based training model, the Professional ACEs-Informed Trainin... more Date Presented 03/27/20 A simulation-based training model, the Professional ACEs-Informed Training for Health Professionals was evaluated using a pre-and-post design. The model emphasizes trauma-informed care and simulation to educate students. The study evaluated students’ levels of self-efficacy and knowledge. The results support brief didactics combined with simulation to train OT students on adverse childhood experiences and trauma-informed care, supporting AOTA research priorities. Primary Author and Speaker: Mary Isaacson Additional Authors and Speakers: Julie Miller-Cribbs Contributing Authors: Jedediah Bragg, Eden Nay, Kristin Rodriguez, Frances Wen, Martina Jelley, Kim Coon
Professor Paws Project: Service Dog Education for Allied Health Students
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2017
Date Presented 3/31/2017 Service dog education is not included in national curriculum standards f... more Date Presented 3/31/2017 Service dog education is not included in national curriculum standards for allied health students. The paucity of education leads to gaps in services, training, and advocacy for persons with disabilities. This study explores the impact of service dog education on allied health students. Primary Author and Speaker: Mary Isaacson Additional Authors and Speakers: Meredith Wyatt Contributing Authors: Jody Worley
The Professor Paws Project: Service Dog Education for Persons With Chronic Conditions
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2017
Date Presented 3/30/2017 Service dogs provide specific tasks that increase independence and enhan... more Date Presented 3/30/2017 Service dogs provide specific tasks that increase independence and enhance quality of life for their handlers. Service dogs are often misunderstood, which leads to barriers for service dog users. This study explores the impact of service dog education with persons with chronic conditions. Primary Author and Speaker: Mary Isaacson Additional Authors and Speakers: Meredith Wyatt Contributing Authors: Jody Worley
The purpose was to examine the feasibility of creating a faculty-driven research-based fieldwork ... more The purpose was to examine the feasibility of creating a faculty-driven research-based fieldwork (FW) I experience and to examine whether students engaged in a research-based FW I would report equivalent skill performance opportunities as students engaged in traditional FW I experiences. Twenty-four first-year occupational therapy students were given the option of choosing either a research-based FW I experience with a faculty member (n = 5) or a traditional FW I site (n = 19). The students self-reported their opportunities to perform ACOTE standards of practice related to professionalism, professional reasoning, use of sciences, and experiential learning using a Likert scale. Results are provided through non-parametric tests. Students in the research-based FW I reported significantly higher scores for skill performance opportunities than the students in the traditional FW I in areas of professionalism (p = .03), professional reasoning (p = .02), and experiential learning (p = .04), but there were no differences in use of sciences scores. In this small sample, first-year occupational therapy students reported a difference in skill performance opportunities for practicing professionalism, professional reasoning, and experiential learning in a research-based FW I structured by a faculty member, compared to students who chose a traditional FW I setting.
Journal of professional nursing : official journal of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing
Cultural competency in the delivery of health care to diverse population groups has become an urg... more Cultural competency in the delivery of health care to diverse population groups has become an urgent need in the United States. Yet, despite the incorporation of cultural competency education into nursing curricula, inequities in health care remain. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to identify if differences in perceptions of cultural competence were present in senior nursing students (N = 11) before and after cultural immersion experiences on an Indian reservation. Preimmersion results revealed that the majority considered themselves culturally competent, whereas after immersion, there was a downward shift in scores. Triangulation of the quantitative results alongside a hermeneutic phenomenological analysis of the students' reflective journals revealed a paradox. Students perceived themselves as culturally competent, yet their journals demonstrated many negative stereotypes. Three common themes emerged: seeing with closed eyes, seeing through a fused horizon, and disr...
Only the best: today's best seating and mobility practices may be tomorrow's standards
Rehab management, 2004
In the area of seating and mobility evaluations, best practices can best be depicted and illustra... more In the area of seating and mobility evaluations, best practices can best be depicted and illustrated by a wheel similar to one found on a wheelchair. In the center or axle of the wheel is the concept of best practices. Spreading out from this center are the spokes that stabilize and support the wheel. The wheel requires that all of the spokes be in good working order for it to function properly. These spokes of best practices include experience, hands-on techniques, skills, technology, resources, self-directed learning, and the consumer. All the spokes must be strong and in place in order for the wheel to run well. Not only does a wheel have spokes, it also has a brake. This brake has the potential to slow or even stop the wheel. However, if the brake is not applied, it has no effect on the wheel. When the wheel is functioning properly, it can be put into motion.
As patients are being discharged "sicker and quicker," family caregivers have become increasingly... more As patients are being discharged "sicker and quicker," family caregivers have become increasingly responsible for the technical care and rehabilitation of older family members. Although they play a critical role in the rehabilitation of older patients, they are rarely included in the patient teaching process. This article offers suggestions for the development of educational materials for older family caregivers based on the andragogical theory of adult education. Recommendations include supplementing video with printed materials, a strategy for creating understandable printed materials, using the Web as a teaching tool, and verbal communication strategies.
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Papers by Mary Isaacson