Date: Saturday, November 21st, 2009
Check-In Time(s): 7:30am-8:00am
Class Time(s): 8:00am-4:15pm
Location: Fairview Riverside East building, Brennan Center

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Speaker(s):
Dr. Thompson is a Consultant Educator and a Managing Partner of ACT One Consulting and Education in Vancouver, WA. In that capacity, she provides customized educational programs in balance and vestibular for the balance teams of physicians, audiologists and rehab professionals. Dr. Thompson earned a BA in PT from Russell Sage College in 1983, her doctorate in PT from the University of the Pacific in 2004, and is currently a DSc candidate in the Advanced Neurology at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (Provo, UT). Her dissertation work is investigating the postural sway charachteristics of low and high fall rish community dwelling older adults.
Dr. Thompson has more than 25 years of experience in patient care and program management. In her clinical history she has started two succesful balance programs in hospital based outpatient settings utilizing advanced technology. From 1999-2008 she was the Director of Clinical Education and Development for the former NeuroCom International Inc (under Dr. Lew Nashner), the company who brought us Computerized Dynamic Postuography (CDP) and dynamic vision testing. In that capacity, Dr. Thompson had the great pleasure to educate clinicians in the integration of CDP into effective patient management strategies. Currently, she is a consultant educator for Dr. John Epley and Vesticon as they bring his clinical inventions including the Omnimax multi-axial chair to the marketplace.
Dr. Thompson's clinical focus has been neurology, geriatrics and vestibular, although her clinical experiences are broad and varied. She practices on a consultant basis, maintaining active licenses in NH, PA, OR and WA. She has been an active member of the Neurology Section and the Vestibular and Balance SIGs of the APTA. She has advanced competencies and certifications in Adult NDT and Vestibular Rehab and Vestibular Test Interpretation (Emory University/Herdman et. al.). She has a proven and respected educational track record in balance and vestibular, program development, technology applications, and reimbursement.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The current theory and understanding of balance will be presented. Accepted measurement tools willbe discussed with the goal of gaining a better understanding of the cause of the balance problem for a better treatment plan. Effective approaches to screening, evaluation, and treatment of the balance patient will be provided making balance management achievable for every therapist.
Through presentation and discussion, we intend to de-mystify the vestibular system for the therapist who does not wish to be a vestibular therapist. Basic understanding of the vestibular system and how it relates to balance control and gaze stibilazation will be presented. Positional vertigo will not be covered in this course. Management of the vestibular patient may be limited to a proper screen and referral; it may include eval and treatment  by you; it might require a referral for specialized balance/vestibular treatment by a Balance/Vestib Center.
Within the Fairview system, each therapist serves a different role in the care of the balance impaired patient, but has a common responsibility to identify fall risk and to manage it appropriately. This course is intended to lay the framework for a consistent approach to balance care across the Fairview system (in patient, out patient and homecare).

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Describe and define "balance" and "vestibular" in common directive terms
Understand basic physiology and function of the vestibular system and how it relates to balance and gaze control
Identify the presence of a balance or vestibular disorder through effective history taking
Effectively perform screen the postural and gaze systems
Effectively perform a PT examination of the patient with postural and/or gaze system impairments
Interpret examination findings and make appropriate recommendations
Develop a plan of care for a patient with postural control impairments
Develop a plan of care for a patient with gaze control impairments
Demonstrate understanding of documentation requirements and procedural codes for eval and treatment

COURSE AGENDA:
8:00-8:15am- Intro and course overview
8:15-9:00am- A common language: how should we define "balance" and "vestibular" (to help better direct our efforts)?
-Definitions
-Basic physiology and function
-Classification using the ICF model
9:00-9:15am- "Chunking" balance: biting off only what we can chew......
-Screening and PQRI
-Exam
-Treatment- Balance
-Treatment- Vestibular
9:15-9:45am- Screening: Identifying the presence of a balance disorder
-Taking a history that directs assessment activities
- Screening the VOR and gaze stability
-Screening the VSR and postural stability
- PRQI and Risk Assessment
9:45-10:00am- BREAK
10:00-11:30am- Completing the exam of the gaze stability systems
- Exam of the VOR/oculomotor system and functional impact
- Correlation of exam findings with medical information (determining and understanding red flags)
- Interpretation, classification and treatment planning
11:30am-12:30pm- LUNCH
12:30-2:30pm- Completing the exam of the postural stability systems
- Exam of postural stability and functional impact
- Correlation of exam findings with medical information (determining and understanding red flags)
- Interpretation, classification and treatment planning
2:30-4:00pm- Treatment prescription: In theory and practice
- For gaze stability impairments
- For postural stability impairments
4:00-4:15pm- Summary and Q and A