Date of Award

Fall 12-9-2023

Document Type

MOT Group Research Project

Degree Name

Master of Occupational Therapy

Department

Rehabilitation Sciences

Research Coordinator

Christine Raber, PhD, OTR/L

Program Director

Barb Warnock, DHSc, OTR/L

Abstract

In the post-acute rehabilitation setting for adults with traumatic brain injury, practitioners report inconsistencies in accessing and using evidence-based practice resources supportive of best practice. The objective of this study was to identify if level of education and number of years in practice influenced occupational therapists’ use of evidence-based practice resources during the evaluation and treatment of adults with traumatic brain injury within the post-acute rehabilitation setting. This retrospective cross-sectional analysis used de-identified data collected from a previous descriptive study that used an online survey to examine common practice patterns among occupational therapists working in post-acute rehabilitation settings for adults with a traumatic brain injury. Survey participants (n=27) were occupational therapists who had worked with adults with traumatic brain injury in a post-acute rehabilitation setting. This study examined possible relationships between occupational therapy practitioners’ level of education and number of years in practice on the implementation of evidence-based practice resources in the post-acute rehabilitation setting. Chi-square analysis indicated a statistically significant relationship, χ2(3, N=27) = 22.20, p=0.000059, between practitioner level of education and number of years in practice, as well as between level of education and frequency in accessing evidence-based practice resources, χ2(3, N=27) = 9.38, p=0.024. Implications for practice include evidence-based practice patterns are similar between practitioners based on level of education, and implementation of evidence-based practice resources should be a thoroughly defined expectation of practitioners. Occupational therapists working with adults with traumatic brain injury should apply evidence-based practice resources to support their practice.

IRB

Approval has been obtained for this item.

Available for download on Tuesday, December 31, 2024

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