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Healthcare practitioners (HCP) have expressed inadequate preparation in providing care to patients living with a dementia. Research suggests experiential learning activities (ELAs) can improve HCP knowledge and comfort toward this population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a short-duration (2-hour) dementia ELA on Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students' knowledge and comfort toward individuals living with a dementia. Participants included a sample of first-year DPT students (n=82). In this pre-experimental, single-site, longitudinal study, students participated in an ELA at a memory care facility. They completed a dementia knowledge and comfort survey pre-(T1) and post-ELA(T2), as well as prior to their first clinical experience (nine months post-ELA; T3). Pre- and post-survey analysis demonstrated significant improvements between T1 to T2 and T1 to T3 with overall effect sizes ranging from very large (d=1.256) to huge (d=1.520). There were no significant differences between T2 to T3 analysis. Students demonstrated positive improvements in attitudes toward individuals living with a dementia following this ELA. Improvements were maintained over time. An ELA as short as two hours may improve person-centered care for patients living with a dementia. These types of activities should be considered for inclusion in DPT curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional Total Contact Cast (TCC) is considered the gold standard for treating plantar diabetic ulcers. A number of prefabricated TCC kits have been introduced, which offer a user-friendly casting process for health care providers. Our objective was to evaluate pressure reduction and gait characteristics after application of a TCC kit (TCC-EZ) and traditional TCC. Fifteen individuals (9 males, 6 females; median age of 51.5 years [range = 40.5-71.2 years]) completed 30-m walking trials while fitted with TCC-EZ and TCC in a randomized order. A pair of automated wireless photogate sensors captured time to traverse the distance and pedobarographic insoles measured and recorded plantar pressures. Paired t tests were used to compare peak pressure, gait speed, and cast weights across the 2 modalities. Peak pressure and cast weight were significantly lower in the TCC-EZ arm (169.6 ± 41.3 kPa vs 214.9 ± 63.2 kPa, P =.0048; and 1.79 ± 0.17 kg vs 2.11 ± 0.25 kg, P =.0004). Contact area and gait speed were not significantly different between the 2 modalities (140.4 ± 25.8 cm2 vs 126.9 ± 37.8 cm2, P =.0228, Cohen's d = 0.40; and 0.94 ± 0.19 m/s vs 0.83 ± 0.26 m/s, P =.0532, Cohen's d =.48). TCC-EZ was found to provide more favorable pressure distributions compared with TCC. TCC-EZ is also lighter and may be a preferred treatment modality for patients. More research is necessary to reveal the clinical effectiveness of prefabricated total contact kits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses results of a study on increased risk of plantar shear stress in patients with a history of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU). Topics include use of Cleveland Clinic shear plate to quantify peak plantar shear (PS); peak pressure (PP) and shear data collection; and need for further research to understand clinical implications of shear in a longitudinal cohort study.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare professions shifted from face to face(F2F) to online educational delivery methods. Research evaluating the effectiveness of online educational delivery is mixed.The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of a dementia-specific experiential learning activity(ELA) delivered to Doctor of Physical Therapy(DPT) students face to face(F2F) versus online. Participants included a sample of DPT students ( n  = 171) from four consecutive cohorts. In this quasi-experimental, single-site two-factor design study, students participated in either a F2F( n  = 84) or online version ( n  = 87) of an ELA. They completed a dementia survey pre-(T1) and post-ELA(T2). Pre- and post-survey analysis demonstrated significant improvements between T1 and T2 for both groups. The interaction of group by time F(1,169) = 287.61, p  < 0.01 indicates a main effect for groups over time. Analysis did not demonstrate significance between versions for T1 or T2. The interaction of time by group F(1,169) = 1.08, p  = 0.30 indicates there was not an interaction of time by group.This study provided strong evidence that students benefitted from the dementia-specific ELA regardless of delivery method. Both methods proved equally effective, as there was no statistically significant difference between them. Programs may consider online experiences to increase schedule flexibility and content accessibility.