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Description
This capstone project took place at KORT Downtown Hand Center, focusing on creating educational materials to help enhance patient understanding of their diagnosis, increase access to these resources, and increase my overall knowledge in hand therapy. A literature review revealed that low health literacy contributes to increased hospitalizations and inadequate health management, more so for non-English speakers. To address this, I created educational handouts in both English and Spanish for five common diagnoses seen in this setting: Lateral Epicondylitis, Medial Epicondylitis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Cubital Tunnel Syndrome, and Distal Radius Fractures (Post-Operative). At the start of this capstone, I created and distributed surveys to patients during their evaluations to assess their familiarity with their diagnosis. Surveys of 27 patients indicated a general lack of familiarity with their diagnoses, highlighting the potential need for educational resources. Throughout my project, I collaborated with my mentor to refine these educational materials and deepen my understanding of hand therapy. Research articles were utilized to support the content of the educational handouts, and they were referenced on the back of each handout. This project not only focuses on supporting client-centered care and cultural responsiveness but also empowers patients in self-management with accessible information about their diagnoses. By distributing these educational handouts with verbal introduction and guidance from a healthcare provider, patients could possibly enhance their understanding of their diagnosis and recovery expectations, leading to better clinical outcomes. This project also emphasizes the Occupational Therapist’s role in improving patients’ health literacy.
Graduation Date
2025
Keywords
Health literacy, Educational handouts, Hand therapy, Spanish, Access
Disciplines
Occupational Therapy
Degree Type
Open Access Capstone
Document Type
Poster
Degree Name
Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
Department
Occupational Therapy
Site Mentor
Madison Harper, OTD, OTR/L
Comments
Link to Presentation: https://youtu.be/TQmAxcva128