Forging a New Future
While exploring the ongoing effects of disability on students, clinicians, and patients alike was a key aspect of the Summit, another crucial takeaway for attendees was a reference list offering guidance on moving forward. How do we improve our efforts to create equity of access, inclusion, and anti-ableism? In this introduction, Deana Herrman, PT, PhD, honors the groundbreaking work of disability rights activist Judy Heumann, and notes a good place to begin is with her book, Being Heumann. Along with co-authors, Sarah Caston PT, DPT and Priyanka Bhakta PT, DPT, she has created a list that offers a variety of self-education materials. “It is never too late to start, and it is always okay to keep learning, recognize when we don’t know enough, and strive to do better—for the future,” Herrman concludes.
Poem: Ode to a Stroke, or A Life Altered
It is important to explore the valuable information from patient poems and a potent example of this insight is evident in Mr. Dick Taylor’s poignant reflection on his experience of suffering a stroke. Certainly no standardized outcome measure could reveal the depths of his emotions like the words of his poem, which allow us an intimate view into his true struggles.
“To Doris, On Her Retirement” by Elisabeth Preston-Hsu, MD, MPH
Download the article (pdf) Table of Contents This poem is dedicated to Doris Armour, MD. Leaving this season lush with life, you’ll connect to a greener one. You’ve sketched a map of terrains traveled to lay out the journeys ahead. You’ve seen the microscopic proof of cells and vessels, how grafting injury […]
Accessibility Accommodations on the National Physical Therapy Examination: An Exploratory-Descriptive Qualitative Study
This study reports on the negative impact on some NPTE candidates of seeking accessibility accommodations. The results show that requesting accommodations for testing puts an additional burden on these students, which can affect their academic, and even their professional, lives. The authors call for “improved ease of access to information,” and “a more streamlined approach nationwide” to the exam process for persons with disabilities.
The Young Doctor: One Day, Inshallah
In her winning essay, “The Young Doctor: One Day Inshallah,” Katie Spencer recounts her transformative experience providing medical care in a Syrian refugee village during her time as a US Army medic. Central to her essay is an encounter with a young girl who dreamed of becoming a doctor, despite her school being destroyed by insurgents. Spencer invited her to follow along as she treated patients. Learning to innovate patient care with limited resources, Spencer prioritized listening to patients’ stories and recognized that “language barriers and cultural differences mean little when a bridge of universal compassion is built.” Her essay emphasizes that healthcare extends beyond visible symptoms, requiring providers to understand patients’ personal narratives and cultural contexts.
Learning From Experiences of Chronic Illness: A Book Review of The Room Sinatra Died In and Other Medically Adjacent Stories
In this book review, author Ted Meyers reflects on his own writing process and how it has impacted his perspective on his life and chronic illness. “Writing is my way of preserving … moments,” he notes. In her commentary that follows, Priyanka Bhakta highlights the role of the caregiver in family-centered care as presented in Meyers’ book: “The stories convey the unavoidable impact of health on one’s relationships…” Teaching Tools at the end of the article suggest two of Meyers’ stories for healthcare students, with Discussion Points.
Advocating for Palliative Care Is Our Role: A Physical Therapist Perspective
This insightful and moving article argues for wider use of palliative care in end-of-life situations. Written from her personal experience with terminal patients, the author notes how, ironically, a focus on positivity can deny the much-needed comfort that palliative care provides. Contrasting a rural southern hospital and a top urban neurorehabilitation facility, she notes how her patients received more end-of-life comfort in the former. She calls for physical therapists to “advocate for better integration of palliative care principles into PT practice.”
Utilizing Drama to Teach Intervention Strategies for Patients With Alzheimer’s Disease: The Intersection of Humanities and Clinical Science
Clinical simulations are often used in entry-level healthcare education. However, according to the authors, these simulations lack the depth of understanding that drama can provide to students. This research report details how a two-act play written by the authors and presented here, employing professional actors, increased student understanding of effective interactions with Alzheimer’s patients.
Building Community Through Storytelling: A Case Report
These authors report on their most recent ‘StorySlam’ – an event hosted by USC’s Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy – where Division members described their personal encounters with diversity, equity, and inclusion. The storytellers (including faculty, students, and patients) spoke for just 5 minutes each. But the attendees – many quoted here – noted the impact of those stories, and their enhanced sense of connection with their fellow Division members.
A Quarter-Century Post-Olmstead, We’re Still Waiting for Freedom
Download the article (pdf) Table of Contents Twenty-five years ago, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Olmstead v. L.C.1 was seen as a victory for disability rights. Led by Georgia disabled advocates Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson, the decision affirmed that disabled people belong in their communities, not in institutions. It was a powerful declaration: institutionalizing […]