Refining Clinically Relevant Anatomy Education for Entry-level Occupational Therapy Students

There are separate poster presentation times for odd and even posters.
Odd poster #s – first hour
Even poster #s – second hour

Abstract Body : Clinical anatomy is an essential component of allied health education to ensure competent and safe practice. While previous studies have examined pedagogical approaches to anatomy education in allied health fields, few have specified clinically-relevant anatomy content appropriate for occupational therapy (OT) students. This research seeks to identify relevant anatomy content for OT student competency for entry-level clinical practice by asking: 1) Does the current Northern Arizona University (NAU) allied health anatomy curriculum cover what is needed for OT clinical practice? 2) Are practicing OT clinicians satisfied with fieldwork students’ competency regarding clinically relevant anatomy knowledge?

A mixed-method study included a recruitment survey (n=41), anatomy content surveys with five point Likert-style questions (n=25), and focus groups with OT clinicians practicing in Arizona (n=12). Anatomy content surveys were based on the anatomy curriculum currently taught to allied health students at NAU. Study participants who completed the survey were placed into 4 focus groups based on their self-identified area of practice/expertise: 1) nervous system, thorax, abdomen; 2) pelvis, perineum, lower extremity; 3) back, upper extremity; 4) head, neck. The Likert data was analyzed by calculating the overall average from each of the four anatomy content surveys to determine the level of relevance for each anatomical region. Qualitative data from focus group transcripts were analyzed through individual and group review to discern themes that OT clinicians identified as being relevant for anatomical education.

Results from the surveys indicate that back & upper extremity (4.53) consisted of the most relevant content followed by head & neck (4.01); pelvis, perineum, lower extremity (3.72); and nervous system, thorax, abdomen (3.56). Differences in survey results may be due to factors such as participant specialty areas and practice settings, job availability, popularity of subspecialties, and participants’ anatomy background. Thematic interpretation of focus group discussions identified five key themes: critical thinking & functional application, setting-specific anatomy knowledge, interprofessional education, course structure, and use of resources.

The data suggest the current NAU anatomy curriculum adequately prepares OT students with essential anatomical knowledge for competent clinical practice based on local OT practitioners’ feedback. Participating OT clinicians with Fieldwork Educator experience also highlighted the importance of OT students developing knowledge of functional anatomy. In-depth learning of specific anatomical structures should therefore be supplemented with clinical correlates related to various OT practice settings to enhance clinical practice skills. OT clinicians subjectively reported greater satisfaction with fieldwork students who were able to demonstrate both relevant anatomy knowledge and functional application within their practice setting. This research underscores the need for a comprehensive clinical anatomy course for entry-level OT students that provides foundational knowledge for their careers. Continued research in this area can lead to the development of a standard template for OT anatomy education to enhance future clinicians’ competency and critical application skills essential for entry-level practice.

This research was funded by NAU's College of Health and Human Services.