Ms Eimear McMonagle1, Ms Holly Daly1, Ms Kara White1, Ms Molly Eaton1, Ms Felicia Whiteman1, Ms Jasmin Will1, Ms Celia Marston1, Ms Bronte Jordan1, James Seymour1
1Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Australia
Biography:
Eimear McMonagle is a Grade 3 Occupational Therapist working within the Royal Melbourne Hospital. She received a Bachelor of Science from Trinity College Dublin. She has eight years’ experience working across acute care and holds a profound interest in cognitive processes and interventions within the occupational therapy space.
Holly Daly, Senior Occupational Therapist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, holds a BSc in Occupational Therapy from Monash University. With eight years' experience working in Acute Care, she has a strong passion for upskilling staff and fostering continuous learning and development within her team.
Abstract:
Background:
An evidence-based approach to assessment is critical to standardising practice, ensuring continuity and optimisation of care for patients. Occupational Therapists have access to a wide range of cognitive assessments in acute settings to accommodate for the diverse patient population. Within a metropolitan hospital, there was an absence of stream-lined pathways and resources to support staff in the selection and conduct of cognitive assessments.
Method:
An implementation approach was employed to develop and evaluate the introduction of a best practice approach to cognitive assessment. This included: (1) Establishing clinician-led working party (2) Conducting pre and post staff surveys and clinical audits to ascertain gaps in practice models and individual knowledge (3) Completing a literature review (4) Developing a decision-making tool and reference guide for acute patient populations (5) Developing training videos. Survey and audit data was analysed descriptively.
Results:
Pre-survey and audit results indicated most occupational therapists were confident in selecting appropriate cognitive assessment but reported less confident in the interpretation of results. The Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS) was the most utilised assessment. Lower confidence was reported when administrating the Cognitive Assessment of Minnesota (CAM) and the Oxford Cognitive Screen (OCS). To-date, we have implemented a decision-making tool, a quick reference guide and training videos to upskill staff. Post implementation results will be reported.
Discussion:
Establishing a best practice model to cognitive assessment requires a multi-modal approach to education and practice change. Findings from the project will be applied to the next stage of streamlining cognitive intervention models.