Librarian and Researcher Assessments of Search Result Relevance: How Well Do They Align?

Conducting comprehensive but efficient literature searches for complex evidence syntheses involves selecting databases that will retrieve the greatest number of relevant results on the question. Lack of a comprehensive single database on allied health educational topics challenges those seeking such literature. In this study, six participants contributed research questions on instructional methods and materials for allied health patients, caregivers, and future health professionals. Two health sciences librarians created search strategies for these questions and searched eleven databases. Both the librarians and the six participants evaluated the search results using a rubric based on PICO to assess extent of alignment between the librarians' and requestors' relevance judgments. Intervention, Outcome, and Assessment Method constituted the most frequent bases for assessments of relevance by both librarians and participants. The librarians were more restrictive in all of their assessments except in a preliminary search yielding twelve citations without abstracts. The study's results could be used to identify effective techniques for reference interviewing, selecting databases, and weeding search results.

Predictors of clinical experience performance in occupational therapy and physiotherapy: A scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: Successful completion of clinical education experiences is a graduation requirement for students in occupational therapy and physical therapy programmes. A scoping review was conducted to determine what is known about possible clinical experience performance predictors and to find associated research gaps. METHODS: The search included one hand-searched journal and seven databases, which were used to identify related relevant studies: CINAHL, Education Database, Education Source, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), PubMed, REHABDATA, and Web of Science. A research librarian guided the search process, and the review's reporting is structured by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) Checklist. Studies were included if they contained predictors of clinical experience success indicated by validated performance evaluation tools that were scored by clinical instructors. A multidisciplinary team reviewed the title, abstract, and full text for inclusion and conducted thematic data synthesis to categorise findings. FINDINGS: Twenty-six articles met the inclusion criteria. The majority of articles were of correlational design and included single institutions. Seventeen articles included occupational therapy, eight included physical therapy, with only one article including both programmes. Four categories of predictors of clinical experience success were identified: pre-admission variables, academic preparation, learner characteristics, and demographics. Each of the main categories included three to six subcategories. Key findings included the following: (a) The most common cited predictors in clinical experiences are academic preparation and learner characteristics, (b) more experimental design studies are needed to determine the causal relationship between predictors and clinical experience success, and (c) future research is needed on ethnic disparities and clinical experience success. CONCLUSION: Findings from this review show that possible predictors of clinical experience success include a wide range of factors when correlating success with a standardised tool. Academic preparation and learner characteristics were the most investigated predictors. There were only a small number of studies that found a correlation with pre-admission variables. The findings of this study suggest that students' academic achievement may be a critical element of clinical experience preparation. Future research using experimental designs and across institutions is needed to determine the main predictors for student success.

Home modifications and repurposing: perspectives on the accessibility, affordability, and attractiveness.

PURPOSE: Society has progressed in universal design guidelines and assistive devices for individuals with disabilities yet challenges due to affordability and attractiveness concerns remain to incorporate them into existing residences. Repurposing (i.e., replacing or adapting problematic fixtures or spaces, with others not originally intended for that purpose) may be the action to address the concerns of consumers. The purpose of this study was to elicit information on problems and solutions regarding home modifications and identify ways that consumers and professionals implement repurposing, that residents deemed accessible, affordable, and attractive. METHODS: This convergent parallel design study consisted of focus groups who rated images of repurposed spaces. The focus groups included consumers with functional mobility and visual limitations (n = 8); and professionals who devised or recommended home modifications (n = 8). Participants reviewed three images of home modification solutions and completed a Likert-scale rating based on accessibility and attractiveness. RESULTS: Focus group data indicated that high contrast, heights of fixtures, doors, and flooring - all pose threats to accessibility in the home. Consumers placed more value on attractiveness than professionals. Participants were aware and receptive to repurposing as a home modification technique but focused their discussion on adaptations. CONCLUSION: Overall, adoption and implementation of home modifications promote accessibility, but professionals need to consider individualized needs and preferences, before suggesting modifications.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONRepurposing existing spaces, features, and fixtures can serve as a method of home modification.Consumer home modification recommendations are perceived to be more effective when collaboratively and individually developed with professionals.Data gathered through focus groups can be valuable for informing practice and research in home modifications.

Home Environmental Assessment Protocol-Revised Initial Psychometrics: A Pilot Study.

Efficient home assessments are needed for persons with dementia and their caregivers. Pilot studies to establish a content validity index (CVI), measure concurrent criterion validity, and examine test-retest reliability of the Home Environment Assessment Protocol-Revised (HEAP-R). Six experts reviewed the tool and scored content validity items. Twenty-one caregiver/person with dementia dyads engaged with HEAP and HEAP-R to examine concurrent criterion validity. Seventeen occupational therapists viewed 10 videos of home environments to examine reliability. The CVI score was .980. Concurrent criterion validity for domains: hazards (r =.792), adaptations (r = .742), clutter (r = .843), and comfort (r = .958). Test-retest reliability: hazards (r = .820), adaptations (r = .887), visual cues (r = .487), and clutter (r = .696). Pilot data suggest the HEAP-R has preliminary content and concurrent criterion validity and test-retest reliability. Robust psychometric analysis is needed prior to use in clinical practice.

Home Modifications for People With Alzheimer's Disease: A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this review was twofold: (1) to gain insight into what is known from the literature about home modifications for people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and (2) to identify gaps in the literature that could lead to opportunities for research. METHOD: A systematic scoping review of peer-reviewed articles published from 1994 through 2014 explored home modifications and AD. RESULTS: Seventeen articles met the inclusion criteria. The three major findings pertain to (1) the caregiver role and caregiver training, (2) a client-centered collaborative approach to assessment and intervention, and (3) modifications for safety and function. Home modifications involved the physical and social environments as well as cognitive strategies at the task level. CONCLUSION: Opportunities exist for the development of assessment procedures, the exploration of home modifications in the later stages of AD, and the study of home modification needs of people with dementia who live alone.