Journal of Allied Health最新文献

{"title":"Impact of Facilitated DISC Training on Organizational Climate in a School of Health Professions.","authors":"Ramona Jm Dorough, Suzanne J Farmer, Jon W Williamson","doi":"10.21091/jah.2026.03050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21091/jah.2026.03050","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Organizational climate in higher education is increasingly seen as a key factor influencing faculty and staff engagement, student learning, and institutional effectiveness. High-performing workplaces often share a positive climate, marked by strong service outcomes, low turnover, and effective adoption of evidence-based practices. The DISC behavioral style assessment, widely used in business, identifies natural behavioral styles Dominance (D), Influence (I), Steadiness (S), and Conscientiousness (C) to improve communication and collaboration. This study evaluated whether DISC assessment with brief training for faculty and staff could improve ratings of organizational climate within a school of health professions. A pre intervention climate survey (n = 109) was followed by DISC training during a 60- to 90-minute \"lunch and learn\" session (78% participation). A post intervention survey (n = 102) was conducted 1 year later. Chi square analysis showed a lower than expected proportion of D styles and a higher proportion of S styles (p < 0.05). Climate survey results, using a 5-point Likert scale and analyzed with a Wilcoxon ranked sums test, showed significant increases in overall climate ratings (3.98 ± 0.68 to 4.24 ± 0.59; p < 0.003), with specific gains in clarity and recognition (p < 0.008). Findings suggest that DISC assessment and training may be associated with improvements in organizational climate. Given its low cost, ease of use, and validated structure, DISC offers a practical intervention with potential to enhance the work environment in academic institutions.</p>","PeriodicalId":35979,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Allied Health","volume":"55 3","pages":"411-417"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149025829","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploration of User Experience of an Interprofessional Virtual Reality Mass Disaster Simulation for Healthcare Professionals.","authors":"Leslie Rippon, Lorene Cobb, Marcia Downer, Angela Lis, Kimberly A Miller, Alicia McGregor, Natalie Neubauer, Lisa Sheikovits, Genevieve Pinto Zipp","doi":"10.21091/jah.2026.03048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21091/jah.2026.03048","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>While healthcare professionals are considered primary first responders and required to have first aid and CPR training, they are not often exposed to mass disaster or emergency preparedness training due to institutions' lack of necessary resources. Emergency situations can be readily created with virtual reality (VR) simulation, which offers an opportunity to simulate clinical environments for training that are immersive, repeatable and physically and emotionally safe.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This exploratory concurrent mixed-methods study examined healthcare professionals' experiences with an interprofessional VR mass disaster simulation. Health professionals (n = 18), including faculty (n = 5), clinicians (n = 7), and health profession graduate students (n = 6), with CPR and first aid certifications participated in a VR simulation. The VR simulation required participants to demonstrate skills associated with the START triage method and TeamSTEPPS® collaboration and communication skills. Data was collected using the validated Performance Assessment Communication and Teamwork (PACT) instrument and custom open-ended readiness measures, then analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The interprofessional VR training produced graduated professional development and variable higher-order collaborative behaviors, with learning outcomes that differ systematically based on practitioner experience levels. While VR simulation effectively developed technical skills and collaborative awareness, the high variability in complex behaviors like mutual support indicates that virtual environments may require structured debriefing and expert facilitation to achieve consistent collaborative competency development.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings position VR as a valuable foundational tool for emergency preparedness education that builds confidence and systematic approaches while serving as a developmental bridge to complex simulation and clinical experiences, particularly when implemented with robust technical support and experience-differentiated training approaches.</p>","PeriodicalId":35979,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Allied Health","volume":"55 3","pages":"393-401"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149026198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Virtual Reality Versus Auditory-Based Mindfulness: Impacts on Cognitive Performance in Graduate-Level Students.","authors":"Shannon Schoellig, Yvonne Monte, Julie Bush, Kyrra Marchese, Michelle Nunno-Evans","doi":"10.21091/jah.2026.03054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21091/jah.2026.03054","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>This study examined whether virtual reality mindfulness-based practice (VR-MBP) enhances cognitive function, specifically attention, memory, and reasoning, in graduate students compared to auditory mindfulness and no intervention.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A mixed-methods within-subjects design was used. Fourteen occupational and physical therapy graduate students participated in this study. Cognitive performance was assessed at four intervals using the Cognitive Assessment Battery (CAB) PRO by CogniFit. Participants completed the Cognitive Test Anxiety Scale-2 (CTAS-2) as a pre and post-test to measure self-perceived testing anxiety.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Significant improvements were found in memory domains, particularly short-term, working, and non-verbal memory following VR-MBP. Higher cognitive scores were associated with lower anxiety levels and testing in a controlled classroom environment.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>A significant correlation between VR-MBP intervention and improvements in short-term, working, and non-verbal memory adds to the growing body of evidence supporting the cognitive benefits of mindfulness-based practices, while also highlighting the effectiveness of VR as a delivery model.</p>","PeriodicalId":35979,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Allied Health","volume":"55 3","pages":"499-508"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149026156","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seeing the Sacred: Student Perceptions of Spiritual Care During Acute Care Simulation.","authors":"Jeffrey A Gang, Gina R Gang, Henry A Garcia, Christine A Wilson, Noha S Daher, Harold G Koenig","doi":"10.21091/jah.2026.03055","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21091/jah.2026.03055","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Spiritual care is a critical component of whole person healthcare. However, students often feel unprepared to address patient spiritual concerns. There is limited research in physical therapy education on how Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students recognize and respond to patients' spiritual needs, and role of simulation in developing spiritual care proficiency. This study explored DPT students' perceptions of recognizing and responding to patients' spiritual needs during simulation, and perceived impact on future care. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, second-year DPT students (n=55) in a faith-based university completed a simulation with patients presenting with both medical and spiritual needs. Survey data were analyzed descriptively (quantitative) and thematically using a phenomenological approach (qualitative). Most students (90.9%) perceived a spiritual need, and 89.1% attempted to meet it. Four themes reflected student perceived response: witness/withness, spiritual sensitivity/ adaptability, relational engagement, and referral. Students noted future care adjustments across four themes: moving beyond awareness to planned future action, cultivation of a learning mindset, valuing spiritual care as a therapeutic asset, and strengthened self-reflection and personal growth. These findings are consistent with transformative learning theory. Through simulation, students recognized and provided spiritual care, bridging the gap from theory to practice and fostering spiritually responsive future providers.</p>","PeriodicalId":35979,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Allied Health","volume":"55 3","pages":"455-462"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149026114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Variability in the Length of Full-Time Clinical Education Experiences: The Relationship with Doctor of Physical Therapy Program Characteristics.","authors":"Mitch Wolden, Cindy Flom-Meland, Tara Haj, Aaron Rindflesch, Elsa Drevyn","doi":"10.21091/jah.2026.03059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21091/jah.2026.03059","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Clinical education experiences (CEEs) in Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs vary widely in duration, despite accreditation standards requiring a minimum of 30 weeks. Limited evidence exists to support this benchmark or guide optimal CEE length, contributing to inconsistent practices across programs.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study explored how DPT program outcomes, costs, and structure are related to the total length of full-time CEEs and the length of terminal full-time CEEs.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data was collected from program websites of all accredited programs in the US. Pearson and point-biserial correlations assessed the relation¬ships between program outcomes, costs, and structure with CEE lengths. Backward regression identified the unique contribution to the variance in total and terminal CEE durations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Complete data was available for 207 programs (76%). DPT curriculum CEE credit hours had a moderate, positive (r=0.33; p<0.01) relationship with total length of CEEs, and the inclusion of CEEs in the didactic curriculum had a large, positive (rpb=0.52; p<0.01) relation¬ship with the length of terminal CEEs. Regression models explained 20-32% of the variability CEEs lengths.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study provides new evidence that indicates the number of CEE credit hours and the integration of CEEs into the didactic curriculum have the strongest relationships with CEE lengths. These findings highlight the relationship between curricular design and clinical education structure.</p>","PeriodicalId":35979,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Allied Health","volume":"55 3","pages":"489-497"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149026143","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Structural Barriers and Admissions Practices in Physical Therapist Education: A Case Study of Ohio Programs.","authors":"Rebecca Parr, Ashley Crow, Kevin Patterson, Caroline Brunst","doi":"10.21091/jah.2026.03052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21091/jah.2026.03052","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Underrepresentation of marginalized groups persists in the physical therapy workforce, reflecting structural barriers within health professions educational programs' admissions processes. This qualitative study applied a structural competency (SC) framework to examine admissions practices across Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs in Ohio and identify systemic barriers to diversity. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with admissions representatives from 6 of Ohio's 12 DPT programs (50% response rate) and supplemented by analysis of publicly available admissions materials from all 12 programs. Interview transcripts were thematically analyzed, and findings were triangulated with website data to enhance rigor. Three themes emerged: 1) institutional factors-variability in definitions of diversity, resource allocation, and faculty training; 2) admissions processes-inconsistent use of holistic review, reliance on academic cutoffs, and variable interview practices; and 3) recruitment strategies-challenges in outreach, advising, and sustaining pipelines to underrepresented applicants. Findings indicate that while some programs integrated intentional diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, inconsistent policies and resource disparities limited progress. To advance equity in DPT education, programs should adopt standardized DEI frameworks, enhance faculty development, and implement transparent, legally aligned holistic admissions practices. Collaborative resource-sharing and intentional recruitment strategies may mitigate these barriers and advance workforce diversity.</p>","PeriodicalId":35979,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Allied Health","volume":"55 3","pages":"433-440"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149026138","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing Bilateral Upper Extremity Integration Using the Bilateral Task Assessment: Reliability and Validity Testing.","authors":"Piper Hansen, Alicen Garza, Andrew Bodine","doi":"10.21091/jah.2026.03058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21091/jah.2026.03058","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Bilateral Task Assessment (BTA) was developed to address the need for a clinically relevant and feasible measure of bilateral upper extremity function. The assessment was administered by occupational therapists as part of standard care to 4,362 individuals receiving inpatient rehabilitation. Retrospective data were analyzed using multiple psychometric methods to evaluate internal consistency, concurrent validity, to determine dimensionality, and item response theory (IRT) to calculate scores and assess task difficulty. Both individual task scores and completion times were analyzed. Results demonstrated good internal consistency for both task scores (0.92) and time scores (0.85). Factor analysis revealed a large effect size for task scores and a moderate effect size for completion times. Rating scale analyses further supported high internal consistency (0.92) and strong item-to-total correlations (0.86-0.90). Concurrent validity analyses identified significant correlations between the BTA and seven established measures of upper extremity function. Overall, findings indicate that the BTA is a valid, reliable, and feasible assessment that effectively evaluates bilateral upper extremity integration within a functional rehabilitation context.</p>","PeriodicalId":35979,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Allied Health","volume":"55 3","pages":"483-488"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149026221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Healthcare Coaching and Person-Centered Care: A Thematic Analysis of Healthcare Professional Students' Perspectives Following IPE Learning Experience.","authors":"Megan Baumley, Angela Lis, Natalie Neubauer, Lorene Cobb, Genevieve Pinto Zipp","doi":"10.21091/jah.2026.03049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21091/jah.2026.03049","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Person-centered healthcare emphasizes collaborative partnerships involving individual autonomy and shared decision-making. Health coaching has emerged as a pedagogical approach that aligns with person-centered care principles through its emphasis on empowerment, self-determination, and collaborative goal setting.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To explore healthcare professional students' perceptions of their role as health coaches within person-centered care frameworks following completion of an interprofessional education (IPE) module on person-centered care, humanism, and the co-production of health.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional survey study examined responses from 235 healthcare professional students who completed a training module in person-centered care. Qualitative analysis of open-ended responses was conducted using Atlas.AI for initial coding, followed by thematic consolidation by two trained qualitative researchers.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among respondents, 95% (n=231) identified coaching as one of their roles in person-centered care. Thematic analysis revealed an understanding of coaching across three tiers: foundational (support/motivation; education/empowerment), integration (professional role integration; goal setting/collaboration), and specialized applications (self-management/independence; prevention/wellness; bridging communication gaps).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Results revealed coaching to have relational and educational dimensions embedded within healthcare practice. Healthcare professional students conceptualize coaching through an empowerment-centered paradigm that emphasizes collaborative partnerships, autonomous decision-making, and patient-driven goals. Findings suggest that coaching education cultivates understanding and application of person-centered care principles.</p>","PeriodicalId":35979,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Allied Health","volume":"55 3","pages":"403-410"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149025639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Faculty Perceptions of Physical Disability and Technical Standards in Physical Therapy Education: A Mixed-Methods Approach.","authors":"Jessica Marengo, Eric Folmar, Kyle Covington","doi":"10.21091/jah.2026.03053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21091/jah.2026.03053","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Technical standards are non-academic requirements for admission into and participation in an educational program. Concerns have arisen that technical standards may limit access to health professions education for students with physical disabilities, including physical therapist education programs, where it is estimated that <1% of students have physical disabilities.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A convenience sample of physical therapy program faculty was contacted via email in November 2024, using publicly-available program director contact information. The survey was comprised of 20 Likert scale statements and 6 optional free response questions. Data analysis was performed in SPSS (ver. 28.0.0.0). Answers to the free response questions underwent thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Over 700 faculty members were contacted for survey participation with 137 responses received and 126 included. Multiple statistically significant findings emerged, notably highlighting distinctions between physical therapist and physical therapist assistant programs. 88.9% of respondents agreed that technical standards are required to ensure safe clinical practice, 77% agreed that clinical partnerships pose a challenge to admission of students with physical disabilities, and 80.1% agreed that students with physical disabilities are uniquely positioned to positively contribute to the profession.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Faculty reported that technical standards facilitate conversations about accommodations, convey potential employment requirements, and illustrate core features of professional identity. Despite support for inclusion, concerns exist regarding successful completion of clinical education, including maintaining patient safety.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Physical therapy education programs must consider revisions to their technical standards to improve inclusion and representation, while simultaneously ensuring adequate programmatic processes to support student success.</p>","PeriodicalId":35979,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Allied Health","volume":"55 3","pages":"441-454"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149025636","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Patient Autonomy in Physical Therapist Practice: Defining the Limits.","authors":"Jessica Marengo","doi":"10.21091/jah.2026.03063","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21091/jah.2026.03063","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Patient autonomy has long been considered a foundational principle in biomedical ethics and has been defined, in its most basic form, as a right to self-governance or self-determination. The emphasis that is placed on patient autonomy results in a necessary attention to a patient's values, expressed wishes, and decision making in a medical context. However, in an era of healthcare consumerism, where healthcare may be treated like any other good, the line between patient-centered care and patient-directed care becomes blurred, potentially resulting in a mindset that the patient (as a consumer) is 'always right.' There are limits on what a patient can reasonably request in the course of their healthcare journey, including the provision of services from a physical therapist. When considering instances of provider denial or constraining patient autonomy, physical therapists should collaborate with other healthcare providers, consult Ethics Committees where available or appropriate, and make explicit their clinical and ethical reasoning to support their decision.</p>","PeriodicalId":35979,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Allied Health","volume":"55 3","pages":"527-531"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149026123","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}