Feasibility and effect of a professional education workshop for occupational therapists' management of upper-limb poststroke sensory impairment.

OBJECTIVE

We examined the development, implementation, and effectiveness of a theory-based workshop to facilitate knowledge translation for occupational therapists addressing upper-limb poststroke sensory impairments.

METHOD

Nineteen therapists participated in a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study that included an 8-hr evidence-based workshop designed using the Theory of Planned Behavior. We measured changes in knowledge, attitudes, and perceived behavioral control and intended behaviors regarding sensory impairment management, research utilization, and shared decision making.

RESULTS

We noted significant changes in knowledge, attitudes, and perceived behavioral control and intended behaviors about sensory impairment management, research utilization, and shared decision making and made recommendations for changes in recruitment strategies, outcome measures, and workshop content.

CONCLUSION

A theory-based workshop can potentially affect knowledge, attitudes, and intended behaviors about sensory impairment management, research utilization, and shared decision making. A randomized controlled trial evaluating this intervention is warranted and will potentially improve understanding of methods to facilitate knowledge translation.