McKenzie A1, Ito C1, Jonathan N2
1Chapman University, Physical Therapy, Irvine, United States, 2Chapman University, Marriage and Family Therapy, Orange, CA, United States
Background: Although many individuals with chronic stroke can benefit from intensive therapies, they often lack access to rehabilitation, wellness, or prevention services. At the same time, physical therapist education programs often struggle to find suitable short-term clinical placement sites and opportunities for inter-professional education. In 2010, the Chapman University Department of Physical Therapy in Orange County, CA (USA) began developing an Integrated Clinical Education (ICE) experience (Stroke Boot Camp) for students and individuals with stroke to meet these dual needs. That program is now a comprehensive, fully inter-professional experience for students, individuals with stroke and their caregivers, and clinicians.
Purpose: The purpose of this project was to: 1) provide a free, short-term, intensive, community-based stroke intervention and wellness/prevention program for individuals with chronic stroke who had limited access to rehabilitation, wellness, or prevention services; 2) develop a short-term inter-professional Integrated Clinical Education model for students enrolled in a Doctor of Physical Therapy Program (DPT); and 3) develop a community resource for individuals with stroke and their caregivers. We hypothesized that individuals with chronic stroke and graduate students in the health sciences would benefit from working together under this model.
Methods: (This study was approved by the Chapman University Institutional Review Board, # 1617H104.) Community dwelling adults (N=16) with chronic (> 6 months) stroke were recruited from the surrounding community (Orange County, CA, USA) to participate in a short-term (2 week), intensive (6 hours/day, 4 days/week), inter-professional program that included comprehensive physical, cognitive, and mental health assessments and individual and group interventions. The program included: gait, balance, and functional training; endurance/cardiovascular training; and gross and fine motor skill training; and education on stress management, self- and caregiver care, and stroke prevention education. Speech/cognitive training also was provided to some participants. To enhance engagement and socialization, each day's activities centered around a theme (e.g., “Olympics Day”) and the activities were modified into games whenever possible. Students (N=68) enrolled in the DPT, MFT, PA, Pharmacy, and Communication Sciences Program and supervised by licensed clinicians and faculty worked collaboratively to provide the patient-centered care.
Results: Participants demonstrated significant motor improvements (Fugl-Meyer Arm scores (p 0.01), Berg Balance scores (p 0.01), SIS (p=0.02), gait velocity (p 0.01) and cadence (p=0.05), and Timed Up and Go (TUG) scores (p=0.05). All students met the criteria for clinical competency for the experience. Qualitatively, participants and their caregivers, students, and clinicians report high levels of satisfaction with Stroke Boot Camp.
Conclusion(s): Stroke Boot Camp is an effective model for both stroke intervention and clinical education and can provide valuable services to the community.
Implications: The Stroke Boot Camp model benefits individuals with stroke and their caregivers, students in multiple health science disciplines, and faculty and clinicians in the community. Due to high demand, we have expanded the program to twice/year and the model has been successfully implemented in other states and nations and has the potential to expand across the US and internationally.
Keywords: Community, Outreach, Wellness
Funding acknowledgements: The Stroke Boot Camp model is funded, in part, by the Chapman University Department of Physical Therapy and alumni donations
Purpose: The purpose of this project was to: 1) provide a free, short-term, intensive, community-based stroke intervention and wellness/prevention program for individuals with chronic stroke who had limited access to rehabilitation, wellness, or prevention services; 2) develop a short-term inter-professional Integrated Clinical Education model for students enrolled in a Doctor of Physical Therapy Program (DPT); and 3) develop a community resource for individuals with stroke and their caregivers. We hypothesized that individuals with chronic stroke and graduate students in the health sciences would benefit from working together under this model.
Methods: (This study was approved by the Chapman University Institutional Review Board, # 1617H104.) Community dwelling adults (N=16) with chronic (> 6 months) stroke were recruited from the surrounding community (Orange County, CA, USA) to participate in a short-term (2 week), intensive (6 hours/day, 4 days/week), inter-professional program that included comprehensive physical, cognitive, and mental health assessments and individual and group interventions. The program included: gait, balance, and functional training; endurance/cardiovascular training; and gross and fine motor skill training; and education on stress management, self- and caregiver care, and stroke prevention education. Speech/cognitive training also was provided to some participants. To enhance engagement and socialization, each day's activities centered around a theme (e.g., “Olympics Day”) and the activities were modified into games whenever possible. Students (N=68) enrolled in the DPT, MFT, PA, Pharmacy, and Communication Sciences Program and supervised by licensed clinicians and faculty worked collaboratively to provide the patient-centered care.
Results: Participants demonstrated significant motor improvements (Fugl-Meyer Arm scores (p 0.01), Berg Balance scores (p 0.01), SIS (p=0.02), gait velocity (p 0.01) and cadence (p=0.05), and Timed Up and Go (TUG) scores (p=0.05). All students met the criteria for clinical competency for the experience. Qualitatively, participants and their caregivers, students, and clinicians report high levels of satisfaction with Stroke Boot Camp.
Conclusion(s): Stroke Boot Camp is an effective model for both stroke intervention and clinical education and can provide valuable services to the community.
Implications: The Stroke Boot Camp model benefits individuals with stroke and their caregivers, students in multiple health science disciplines, and faculty and clinicians in the community. Due to high demand, we have expanded the program to twice/year and the model has been successfully implemented in other states and nations and has the potential to expand across the US and internationally.
Keywords: Community, Outreach, Wellness
Funding acknowledgements: The Stroke Boot Camp model is funded, in part, by the Chapman University Department of Physical Therapy and alumni donations
Topic: Neurology: stroke; Education: clinical; Disability & rehabilitation
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Chapman University, Irvine, CA, USA
Ethics committee: Institutional Review Board
Ethics number: 1617H104
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
