Betsy VanLeit | PubMed Health

PubMed2005

Student-developed problem-based learning cases: preparing for rural healthcare practice.

INTRODUCTION: The need for health professionals is acute throughout rural communities worldwide. The Rural Health Interdisciplinary Program (RHIP) successfully trains health professional students for practice in rural USA. Student-developed problem-based learning (PBL) cases are a central feature of the RHIP and an important educational focus of learning. METHODS: This retrospective study was designed to describe 222 PBL cases developed by health professional students in the RHIP. The analysis focused on the extent to which student-developed cases reflect demographics and health conditions of rural New Mexico, as well as how successfully cases reflect rural interdisciplinary healthcare issues and practices. RESULTS: The PBL cases do reflect rural New Mexico in terms of population demographics, certain health problems and complexity of health issues. The cases appear to address interdisciplinary, rural clinical concerns. However, the cases are less effective at raising issues related to public health, financial, legal and ethical issues, and other non-medical health topics. CONCLUSIONS: In order to strengthen attention to non-medical issues, PBL groups should have broad interdisciplinary membership, special case development training, and faculty encouragement to address a wide variety of health-related topics. Student-developed PBL cases appear to be an interesting way for health professional students to learn about rural healthcare issues and could be used in a variety of different educational settings.

Female↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Outcomes of an occupational therapy program for mothers of children with disabilities: impact on satisfaction with time use and occupational performance.

OBJECTIVE: This experimental research study evaluated the impact of an 8-week psychosocial occupational therapy intervention program for mothers who have children with disabilities. METHOD: Thirty-eight mothers of children with disabilities were randomly assigned to participate either in the treatment or the control group (19 in each). The occupational therapy intervention was designed to facilitate increased perceptions of satisfaction with time use and occupational performance, thereby positively affecting maternal and family well-being. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) was administered to measure self-perceptions of occupational performance and satisfaction over time. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the two groups on time use perceptions. Although no significant differences were found between the two groups on the COPM Performance subscale, the treatment group demonstrated significantly greater score increases (p < .05) on the COPM Satisfaction subscale. CONCLUSION: This preliminary study suggests that attending to the time use and occupational concerns of mothers of children with disabilities can have a positive impact on their satisfaction with occupational performance.

Adult↗