Faculty publications and conference presentations

Permanent link for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/2022/23318

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    Predicting Language Performance from Narrative Language Samples
    (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2022-01-06) Springle, Alisha P.; Murphy, Kimberly A.; Sultani, Mollee J.
    Purpose: Analysis of narrative language samples is a recommended clinical practice in the assessment of children’s language skills, but we know little about how results from such analyses relate to overall oral language ability across the early school years. We examined the relations between language sample metrics from a short narrative retell, collected in kindergarten, and an oral language factor in grades kindergarten through 3. Our specific questions were to determine the extent to which metrics from narrative language sample analysis are concurrently related to language in kindergarten and predict language through grade 3. Method: Participants were an unselected sample of 284 children who were administered a narrative retell task in kindergarten and a battery of vocabulary and grammar measures in kindergarten through grade 3. Language samples were analyzed for number of different words (NDW), mean length of utterance (MLU), and a relatively new metric, percent grammatical utterances (PGU). Structural equation models were used to estimate the concurrent and longitudinal relationships. Results: The narrative language sample metrics were consistently correlated with the individual vocabulary and grammar measures as well as the language factor in each grade, and also consistently and uniquely predicted the language factor in each grade. Standardized path estimates in the structural equation models ranged from .20 to .39. Conclusion: This study found narrative language sample metrics to be predictive, concurrently and longitudinally, of a latent factor of language from kindergarten through grade 3. These results further validate the importance of collecting and analyzing narrative language samples, to include PGU along with more traditional metrics, and point to directions for future research. Keywords: narrative, language, language sample analysis, assessment
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    Speech Intervention Effects for Childhood Apraxia of Speech
    (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2020-06-30) Springle, Alisha P.; Raymer, Anastasia M., 1958-; Breeden, Amber
    Purpose: A number of studies have examined the effects of speech interventions on outcomes in childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). The findings have been summarized in the form of systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs), which are used to support evidence-based clinical practice decisions. Yet without acceptable rigor, SRs/MAs may be biased in their recommendations. We appraised the quality of existing SRs for CAS treatment using a tool developed within epidemiology, the AMSTAR-2 (A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews; Shea et al., 2017). Method: A search of five databases to identify published SRs that coalesced treatment research for CAS revealed six systematic reviews that met inclusion criteria. Two examiners coded each article with the AMSTAR-2 to rate the methodologic rigor of the SRs and extracted summary data. Results: One rigorous systematic review included only one randomized controlled trial (Morgan et al., 2018). A second moderately rigorous review (Murray et al., 2014) examined multiple single participant research designs. The weight of high-quality evidence supported the positive effects of motor programming treatments for children with CAS. Conclusions: Findings of six systematic reviews, two of which were conducted with relative rigor, suggest that motor programming treatments have the best evidence-base for treatment decisions pertaining to CAS. Clinicians are referred to online resources to implement these treatments according to published protocols. Keywords: childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), systematic review (SR), evidence-based practice (EBP), research quality
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    The Comparative Change of Self-Efficacy in Nursing Students after Verbal De-Escalation Education
    (July Press, 2020) Hostetler, Tina
    Background: The incidence of workplace violence has continued to occupy a significant place in healthcare at a rate nearly double that in other industries. Those providing direct bedside care are among the most vulnerable to violence, including nursing students. Many students report experiencing verbal or physical aggression prior to graduating from nursing school. Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative prospective experimental study was to measure the level of self-efficacy of nursing students’ verbal de-escalation skills before and after verbal de-escalation training, to see if the training made a measurable effect on the level of self-efficacy. Method: Seventeen nursing students in their psychiatric-mental health course rotation completed a pre- and post-intervention survey based on Thackrey’s Confidence in Coping with Patient Aggression scale (1987) to measure self-efficacy. The intervention included up to 90 minutes of interactive verbal de-escalation training. Result: A statistically significant increase in self-efficacy scores was noted from pre-intervention (M = 39, SD = 13.5) to post-intervention (M = 60.9, SD = 14.3), t (16) = 6.92, p < .001 (two-tailed). The mean increase in CCCPA scores was 21.8 with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 28.6 to 15.2. The eta squared statistic (0.46) indicated a large effect size. Conclusion: Verbal de-escalation training in all nursing programs is recommended. Keywords: verbal de-escalation, workplace violence, nursing student
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    Health Care Practitioners’ Determinants of Telerehabilitation Acceptance
    (University Library System, University of Pittsburgh, 2020) Fisher, Thomas F.
    Pulmonary rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary patient-tailored intervention that aims to improve the physical and psychological condition of people with chronic respiratory diseases. Providing pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) services to the growing population of patients is challenging due to shortages in health care practitioners and pulmonary rehabilitation programs. Telerehabilitation has the potential to address this shortage in practitioners and PR programs as well as improve patients’ participation and adherence. This study’s purpose was to identify and evaluate the influences of intention of health care practitioners to use telerehabilitation. Methods: Data were collected through a self-administered Internet-based survey. Results: Surveys were completed by 222 health care practitioners working in pulmonary rehabilitation with 79% having a positive intention to use telerehabilitation. Specifically, perceived usefulness was a significant individual predictor of positive intentions to use telerehabilitation. Conclusion: Perceived usefulness may be an important factor associated with health care providers’ intent to use telerehabilitation for pulmonary rehabilitation. Keywords: Health care practitioners, Pulmonary rehabilitation, Respiratory care, Technology acceptance model, Telehealth, Telerehabilitation