Date: Saturday, April 4th, 2009
Check-In Time(s): 8:00am-8:30am
Class Time(s): 8:30am-4:00pm
Location: Fairview Riveride East building, Brennan Center

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Speaker(s):
Mary Vining Radomski, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Mary Radomski is currently an occupational therapist and clinical scientist at the Sister Kenny Research Center. She has her doctorate in Educational Psychology (focus- Learning and Cognition) from the University of Minnesota. She co-edits Occupational Therapy for Physical Dysfunction with Catherine Trombly-Latham and much of her clinical work and writing of the past two decades have centered on brain injury and cognitive rehabilitation. In 2007, she worked with the Office of the Surgeon General to craft evidence-based guidance for military occupational and physical therapists specific to soldiers with mild traumatic brain injury and is currently involved in research with the Department of Defense regarding use of cell-phone technology to advance case management for soldiers with TBI.

Course Description:
Rehabilitation practitioners are increasingly called upon to provide evidence-based services in all areas of practice including cognitive rehabilitation. This course provides a review of principles and methods that clinicians employ to determine what cognitive assessment and intervention strategies are supported by the best evidence. Current cognitive assessment and intervention methods will be discussed as well as their evidentiary support. During the course, participants will actively use these principles and methods to analyze various options in cognitive rehabilitation practice. The overarching aim of the course is to equip clinicians, including occupational therapists, to employ an evidence-based clinical reasoning process in their day to day practices so that patients with cognitive deficits achieve the best possible outcomes.

*This course is eligible for AOTA Approved Provider credit. The assignment of AOTA CEU's does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products or clinical procedures by AOTA.*

Course Objectives:
Understand the principles and methods of evidence-based practice
 Identify criteria for evaluating the appropriateness cognitive assessment measures and tools
 Identify evidence-based criteria for evaluating the appropriateness of  cognitive intervention strategies
Employ evidence-based methods to determine optimal cognitive assessment and intervention methods for a given patient or setting.

Course Agenda:

8:30-9:00am- Session overview, introduction, and inventory of attendee learning needs.

9:00-10:15am- Review of principles of evidence-based practice, rating evidence, and evaluating properties of assessment tools and methods

10:15-10:30am- Break
10:30-11:15am- Group application: Evaluating and reporting on properties of various cognitive evaluation tools and methods; coming to consensus about best practices.

11:15-12:00pm- Cognitive rehabilitation approaches: Descriptions, approaches, intervention strategies
12:00-1:00pm- Lunch

1:00-2:00pm- Group Application: Evaluating evidence specific to kep approaches to cognitive rehabilitation

2:00-2:45pm- Strategies for establishing evidence-based practice protocols for professional practice groups: resources, methods
2:45-3:00- Break

3:00-4:00- Existing evidence-based guidelines in cognitive rehabilitation