APPROACH
health intelligence & consultation
When developing a therapeutic model of care, health intelligence and literacy are critical for success. A unified approach to care equals the best result where teachers, interventionists, students and parents are working toward goals. Goal setting is critical. The Guide to Physical Therapist Practice recommends that therapists should identify the patient’s goals and objectives during the initial examination in order to maximize outcomes. (Baker, 2001) Studies support higher outcomes with participant involvement in goal setting. In therapeutic model, this is the parent and the student. The more they are both involved the greater the engagement in the process.
we need professionals who are able to speak the language and understand the culture of their students. (Dr. Benjamin, 2010). In that, goal setting needs to be understood and easily achieved. Simple language is necessary.
Architectural Implications • •
Areas for consultation & parent education OT / PT spaces & courtyards have small challenges such as ramps, textures, level changes as easily achievable goals.
A significant challenge is parental alignment and understanding creating the continuum of care. Sometimes it’s not possible to do everything that schools can do. There are outside factors that prevent the same level of care. It is critical that care can be maintained. Health information can be confusing even for those with advanced literacy skills. It’s easy for those of us working in health care to forget that we speak our own language that patients can’t always easily understand. Most of us can recall times when we believed that we shared information with a patient and family member or caregiver and assumed they understood our instructions, only to later discover confusion or misunderstanding (Federico, 2014). Economics play a significant role. Affordability can be an issue. To optimize care, health literacy is as important for care givers as it is for the parents and students. To bridge the gap between the medical and care information provided and its implementation,
38
Approach
Figure 29
