Project Details
Areas of Focus: Education & Advocacy
Area of Practice: Work & Industry
Mission
To advance agricultural education for occupational therapists to improve competence in delivering client-centered care for injured and disabled agricultural workers.
Vision
To improve the quality of life for injured and disabled agricultural workers through a safe and effective return to meaningful work.
Mentorship
Partnership
Evidence of Need
Literature Review
- Occupational therapy (OT) practitioners are ill-equipped to work with farmers due to an inadequate understanding of agriculture, hindering their ability to provide client-centered and occupation-based care (Hildebrand et al., 2019; Wilhite & Jaco, 2014).
- Reports from farmers obtaining AgrAbility services asserted that healthcare professionals, in general, have often advised against the return to work for agricultural workers that sustained an injury or disability (Meyer & Fetsch, 2006).
- However, most agricultural workers who sustained an injury or disability have a high success rate and increased satisfaction levels when returning to work after receiving AgrAbility services, indicating that this discouragement from healthcare professionals is not always justified (Meyer & Fetsch, 2006).
- Therefore, advanced education on agricultural work demands, agricultural environment and context, agriculture safety, and appropriate interventions is needed for OT practitioners to serve farmers with injuries and disabilities effectively (Beattie et al., 2018; Hildebrand et al., 2019; Volkmer & Molitor, 2019; Wilhite & Jaco, 2014).
- Providing practitioners with these resources diminishes the long-term consequences of the common misconception of disabled farmers' capacity to successfully engage in the farm's occupational demands (Wilhite & Jaco, 2014).
- Developing a holistic understanding of agriculture allows OT practitioners to advance the quality of care for agricultural populations by implementing occupation-based and client-centered care (Hildebrand et al., 2019).
Needs Assessment
The need for this project was identified through appraisal of supporting articles and stakeholder interviews with Dr. Carla Wilhite, the National AgrAbility Project OT Consultant, and Dr. Cassidy Johnson, a prior doctoral capstone student with the National AgrAbility Project. During these interviews, stakeholders identified the need for this project due to an absence of continuing education on agriculture for OT practitioners and their misinterpretations of farmers’ ability to return to work.
Outcomes
Outcome Measure #1
The student will advance agricultural education for occupational therapists evidenced by developing a continuing education course on increasing occupational therapists’ competency in serving injured and disabled agricultural workers containing a minimum of 3 modules.
This outcome was achieved by...
- Enhancing my understanding of occupational therapy’s role in serving agricultural populations by appraising relevant literature evidenced by a comprehensive digital resource and PowerPoints on the agricultural context, agriculture safety awareness, and agricultural evaluation, interventions, and outcomes containing over 100 relevant articles.
- Contributing to the development of the continuing education course evidenced by video modules on the agricultural context, agriculture safety awareness, and agricultural evaluation, interventions, and outcomes.
Outcome Measure #2
The student will disseminate information to increase occupational therapists’ competency in serving injured and disabled agricultural workers by formulating a presentation to deliver to at least one group of invested professionals and scholars.
This outcome was achieved by...
- Delivering a PowerPoint presentation, an educational handout, and a practical activity to members of Huntington University Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program's Ergonomics and Assistive Technology Specialty Pathway.
Deliverables
- Continuing Education Course
- Agricultural Context PowerPoint & Video Module
- Agriculture Safety Awareness PowerPoint & Video Module
- Agricultural Evaluation and Outcomes PowerPoint & Video Module
- Agricultural Interventions PowerPoint & Video Module
- Comprehensive Digital Resource
- Presentation
- Educational Handout
- Practical Activity
Module 1: The Agricultural Context
Submodules
Environmental Factors, Safety Culture, Women in Agriculture, Children in Agriculture, Aging Workforce, Mental Health, and Physical Health Conditions & Consequences
Learning objectives
1) Discuss the contextual factors of agriculture and common perceptions held by groups of farmers.
2) Identify how personal and environmental factors can act as supports or barriers for farmers.
3) Demonstrate cultural competency and an understanding of agricultural demands and common stressors when serving farmers.
Module 2: Agriculture Safety Awareness for Healthcare Professionals
Submodules
Transportation, Object & Equipment Contact, Animal Contact, Falls, Slips & Trips, Harmful Substances & Environments, Overexertion, and Developmental Factors.
Learning Objectives
1) Recognize the safety hazards and contributing factors of injuries in agricultural settings.
2) Identify safety precautions for specific tasks to prevent injuries in agricultural workers.
3) Select effective modifications to prevent occupational incidents on the farm.
Module 3: Agricultural Evaluation & Outcomes
Submodules
Models & Framework, Occupational Profile, Assessments, and Outcomes.
Learning Objectives
1) Recognize models of practice applicable to the agricultural population.
2) Review the process of conducting an occupational profile for an agricultural worker.
3) Identify relevant assessments to effectively evaluate agricultural workers, tasks, and environments.
4) Select and effectively measure outcomes when serving agricultural workers.
Module 4: Agricultural Interventions
Learning Objectives
1) Identify evidence-based interventions that are effective when serving injured and disabled agricultural workers.
2) Discuss the transtheoretical model and stages of change to effectively serve injured and disabled agricultural workers.
3) Apply appropriate interventions to clinical practice when serving injured and disabled agricultural workers.
Comprehensive Digital Resource
A Holistic Perspective for Serving Agricultural Workers: A Resource for Occupational Therapists and the Healthcare Team
Chapters
1) The Agricultural Context
2) Agricultural Safety Awareness for Healthcare Professionals
3) Agricultural Evaluation & Outcomes
4) Agricultural Interventions
Presentation
I presented to Huntington University Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program's Ergonomics and Assistive Technology Specialty Pathway Club. Members of the club were provided with a copy of the PowerPoint, an educational handout, and participated in activity involving case scenarios of injured and disabled farmers.
Learning objectives
1) Understand the need for advancing agricultural education for occupational therapists
2) Select appropriate assistive technology for case scenarios of injured and disabled farmers.
3) Identify safety hazards and precautions for various farm tasks.
How did this capstone project impact my future?
I plan to carry out the sustainability of this project by partnering with professionals and organizations to endorse and distribute the continuing education course. This project strengthened my commitment to serving those in rural and underserved communities and to continue advocating for injured and disabled farmers seeking a safe and effective return to work.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to my faculty mentor Dr. Visley and my expert mentor Dr. Wilhite for their expertise and guidance to make this project possible.
Available via email at: clayton.a.lange@gmail.com
Key References
Beattie, J., McLeod, C., Murray, M., Pedler, D., Brumby, S., & Gabbe, B. (2018). What happens to the farm? Australian farmers’ experiences after a serious farm injury. Journal of Agromedicine, 23(2), 134-143. https://doi.org/10.1080/1059924X.2017.1422836
Hildebrand, M., Brinkley, J., Timmons, S., & Mendez, F. (2019). What occupational and physical therapists know about farmers' health. Journal of Agromedicine, 24(1), 64-73. https://doi.org/10.1080/1059924X.2018.1538917
Meyer, R. H., & Fetsch, R. J. (2006). National AgrAbility project impact on farmers and ranchers with disabilities. Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health, 12(4), 275–291. https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.22009
Volkmer, K., & Molitor, W. (2019). Interventions addressing injury among agricultural workers: A systematic review. Journal of Agromedicine, 24(1), 26-34. https://doi.org/10.1080/1059924X.2018.1536573
Wilhite, C., & Jaco, L. (2014). Continuing education in physical rehabilitation and health issues of agricultural workers. Journal of Agromedicine, 19(3), 325-332. https://doi.org/10.1080/1059924X.2014.916641
Photo References
[Headshot of Dr. Carla Wilhite]. (n.d). Retrieved April 6, 2022, from https://hsc.unm.edu/directory/wilhite-carla.html
[Headshot of Dr. Jamesdean Visley]. (n.d). Retrieved April 6, 2022, from https://www.huntington.edu/meet-the-faculty/jamesdean-visley
[Image of AgrAbility Logo]. (n.d). Retrieved April 6, 2022, from http://www.agrability.org
*Full reference list and image reference list available upon request
Credits:
Created with images by marchello74 - "Typical old wooden red barn and silo in the countryside field. Autumn season with colorful trees" • Torval Mork - "Silos on a farm in the Alberta countryside" • JinnaritT - "Piled stacks of dry straw collected for animal feed. Dry baled hay bales stack." • oticki - "Corn maize green stems unripe on field" • Dusan Kostic - "Harvesting of wheat field with combine" • piyaphunjun - "Cows on a farm and herd of cows eating hay in cowshed on dairy farm" • Dusan Kostic - "Tractor spraying soybean" • Bob - "A red barn in the fall season in the palouse wheat country in southeastern Washington."