Capstone Manuscript Abstract:
Studies indicate that women in the U.S. experience higher rates of chronic illnesses and emotional distress, while reporting dissatisfaction with their care when compared to similar countries (Gunja, 2018). Health conditions such as pelvic floor dysfunctions (PFD) affect 1 in 4 women across their lifespan (Dieter et al., 2015; Luber et al., 2001). Research shows that PFDs result in decreases in sexual activity, social outings, and quality of life, with increases in medical expenses, pain, and depression (Berzuk & Shay, 2015; Lamin et al., 2016). Occupational therapists are well-qualified to treat pelvic health issues, with training in areas such as behavioral/lifestyle modifications, mental health, and ADL participation (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2020). Unfortunately, women’s health is a niche area within OT in which limited research is available. Thus, the purpose of this doctoral capstone (DC) project was to distinguish the feasibility of integrating occupational therapy (OT) services into women's healthcare.
The DC elicited several important findings. First, the prevalence of PFDs in a sample of TriHealth patients was 83.5%, with only 2.2% of these participants utilizing pelvic health services. Most women’s health staff participants reported having insufficient time to diagnose/treat PFDs (12/19) and that patients would benefit from OT services (85%). Barriers to integrating OT services into OB/GYN clinics include a lack of space and billing changes. Potential benefits include increased TriHealth revenue and patient quality of life and reduced provider burden. Finally, and evidence-based pelvic health and OT booklet was designed to improve patient outcomes after major urogynecology surgery. Overall, the DC aims to advance the field of occupational therapy by describing the need for these services and in what roles OT can be utilized to improve women’s healthcare.
Capstone Final Video:
The capstone video provides a brief (under 5-minutes), slideshow-type synopsis of the doctoral capstone experience.
Capstone Final Poster:
The Capstone Student Poster provides a brief (1-page), visual summary of the doctoral capstone experience.
Capstone Full Reference List:
Please view the references utilized in the doctoral capstone manuscript by clicking on the link below:
Creative Epilogue of the Capstone Process:
The Creative Epilogue of the Capstone Journey shares an original outline of the doctoral capstone student's capstone experience as compared to the Disney song, "Almost Done". Click on the link below to access the Creative Epilogue:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/14kVMbAUj8vjtxiSyJtirVPvHSM-AQidNyo58DBFigN8/edit
