They are Not Kids Forever: Navigating the Transition to Adult Care for ‘Pediatric’ Conditions
Presenters: Susan Labhard, MSN, RN; Whitney Herge, PhD; Michelle Hall, MS, CPO, LPO, FAAOP(D); Britta Schwartzhoff, PT, DPT; Erin O’Brien, CPO, FAAOP
There are unique obstacles faced by individuals with pediatric disorders who are transitioning to young adulthood: heading to college, learning to drive, navigating the search for qualified adult healthcare providers, the psychology of becoming independent from parents, and establishing healthy relationships. Though these challenges tend to lie on the periphery of orthotic management, this panel of experts will help optimize our role as orthotists through a holistic overview of this transitional period in our young patients lives.
The presentation included discussions about the transition from pediatric to adult care. Hall emphasized that the dialogue should start when the child is young to help them gain the skills necessary to successfully advocate for their needs as young adults, Hall said. The panel provided insights on various aspects of care, including guardianship, healthy relationships, ageing with a disability, and management of mobility that may not be treated by O&P practitioners, but may be screened for to recommend referrals.
Hall said that any clinician caring for pediatric patients has a responsibility to prepare the child and family for the transition to adulthood. The panel discussion offered practical information for screening for various aspects of this care and how practitioners can help with transition skill development, she said. A specific case was discussed to give insights into such care by a multidisciplinary team.
The virtual environment provided an opportunity for a mix of live and prerecorded sessions. “Ideally, all panelists would have presented live, but in order to avoid potential technical issues part of this presentation was recorded,” she said. Taking advantage of the live aspect, the panelists answered questions via the chat throughout the presentation.
Psychosocial Aspects in Stroke Rehabilitation
Presenters: Graci Finco, CPO; John Frederick, CPO; Jackie Adolph, CPO; Tyler Deleo, CPO; Deena Hassabella, DO
In this organized session, four presenters explored the psychosocial challenges faced by O&P patients following stroke. As with other organized sessions, the variety of short presentations gave attendees a multifaceted perspective on this common issue. Firanco, the moderater, said the key takeaway messages from this session were that individuals recovering from stroke have psychosocial challenges in addition to biomechanical challenges, and that orthotists should consider those challenges when treating stroke survivors. Practitioners should also know how to measure psychosocial health and incorporate it into the orthotic treatment plan, she said. The attendees received practical tips about how to use clinical outcome measures and motivational interviewing, recognize and consider psychosocial aspects clinicians may overlook in patient visits, and use communication strategies specific to individuals with stroke.
Each presenter addressed a single aspect of the topic. Adolph focused on using outcomes to measure psychosocial function in stroke patients. She shared her expertise on the most appropriate outcomes measures in this context and how measuring psychosocial function can improve orthotic recommendations.
DeLeo introduced the concept of motivational interviewing and the ways clinicians can implement these techniques to improve patient rehabilitation by leveraging a patient’s intrinsic motivation for recovery.
Communication can present challenges in treating patients after stroke, and Frederick discussed how to identify communication issues and successfully implement strategies to overcome them.
The final presenter in the session provided an interdisciplinary perspective. Hassaballa shared her expertise as a physician treating patients following a stroke. She identified psychosocial considerations O&P practitioners might not be aware of or could easily overlook and provided information about how recognizing them can improve patient outcomes.
