INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 11 Program Schedule 02/17/2024 10:45 am - 12:00 pm Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60) Poster Session 11: Cultural Neuropsychology \| Education/Training \| Professional Practice Issues Final Abstract #55 Integration and Advocacy Roles of Psychologists in Inpatient Rehabilitation Centers Kathleen Liming, Mercer University, Atlanta, United States Carissa Sawyer, Mercer University, Atlanta, United States Becca Huber, Emory University, Atlanta, United States Category: Cognitive Intervention/Rehabilitation Keyword 1: diversity Keyword 2: cognitive rehabilitation Objective: Rehabilitation care settings are particularly vulnerable to various healthcare disparities, especially in high-population geographic regions (e.g., the southeast). These centers are specifically designed to assist and support individuals who have undergone significant changes to their cognition, mobility, and independence; thus, this population is more at-risk of experiencing maltreatment (Jaffe et al., 2015). Rehabilitation settings commonly integrate various health disciplines to provide comprehensive care to patients following a neurological injury or illness, such as spinal cord injury. Treatment teams can include physical medicine and rehabilitation doctors, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, recreational therapists, case managers/social workers, and psychologists (Emory Healthcare, n.d.). Individuals who receive rehabilitation services vary in demographic variables and identities and may experience socioeconomic barriers to care, such as lack of insurance coverage (Jaffe et al., 2015). Similarly, individuals in rehabilitation settings are admitted with wide-ranging medical complexities and frustrations. This project intends to provide an overview of healthcare disparities among patients in rehabilitation centers with a disability-identity focus. Participants and Methods: An extensive literature review was conducted using PsycINFO, PubMed, as well as other open access databases with key terms being “healthcare disparities AND rehabilitation;” “psychology AND rehabilitation AND integration;” and “disability AND rehabilitation psychology,” with the included articles from peer-reviewed journals under publishing dates being between 2013 and 2023. Articles related to various forms of healthcare disparities, including race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, injury and severity, and the functioning of rehabilitation hospitals post-pandemic, were included. Other incorporated articles addressed advocacy and the role of psychology services within rehabilitation settings. Results: Froder-Pratt et al. (2019) and Perrin (2019) discuss disability-identity development and associated theories (i.e., critical disability identity theory) within the scope of rehabilitation psychology. Perrin (2019) cites existing research related to the role of gender identity, race, age, and other marginalizing factors (body size, hearing ability, mental health history) on health disparities among individuals with disabilities. As rehabilitation psychology continues to grow as a subspeciality, we find that individuals in rehabilitation hospitals are met with compounding discrimination factors, whether implicitly from providers or from the medical model that is not built with appropriate accessibility. Froder-Pratt et al. (2019) emphasize the importance of disability-identity discussions and assessment incorporated in psychological intervention while Perrin (2019) highlights clinical considerations that merge disability status with other demographic and individual-centered identities. Providing brief psychoeducation to team members regarding disability-identity can help bolster the individual’s identity. Conclusions: Rehabilitation psychologists are uniquely equipped to address a large spectrum of challenges in inpatient rehabilitation centers, both at the patient level, as well as broadly in the integrated care team. Although psychologists are typically trained to serve at the patient level alone, similar skills and interdisciplinary collaboration allow for advocacy of patients and the disability community. Continuous collaboration with other therapy-based professions (i.e., occupational, physical, speech) is critical in terms of addressing broader systemic issues that currently exist within medical models and advocating for patients who have been marginalized or overlooked by the medical model of rehabilitation services.

Poster

02/17/2024
10:45 am - 12:00 pm
Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60)

Poster Session 11: Cultural Neuropsychology | Education/Training | Professional Practice Issues

Final Abstract #55

Integration and Advocacy Roles of Psychologists in Inpatient Rehabilitation Centers

Kathleen Liming, Mercer University, Atlanta, United States
Carissa Sawyer, Mercer University, Atlanta, United States
Becca Huber, Emory University, Atlanta, United States

Category: Cognitive Intervention/Rehabilitation

Keyword 1: diversity
Keyword 2: cognitive rehabilitation

Objective:

Rehabilitation care settings are particularly vulnerable to various healthcare disparities, especially in high-population geographic regions (e.g., the southeast). These centers are specifically designed to assist and support individuals who have undergone significant changes to their cognition, mobility, and independence; thus, this population is more at-risk of experiencing maltreatment (Jaffe et al., 2015). Rehabilitation settings commonly integrate various health disciplines to provide comprehensive care to patients following a neurological injury or illness, such as spinal cord injury. Treatment teams can include physical medicine and rehabilitation doctors, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, recreational therapists, case managers/social workers, and psychologists (Emory Healthcare, n.d.). Individuals who receive rehabilitation services vary in demographic variables and identities and may experience socioeconomic barriers to care, such as lack of insurance coverage (Jaffe et al., 2015). Similarly, individuals in rehabilitation settings are admitted with wide-ranging medical complexities and frustrations. This project intends to provide an overview of healthcare disparities among patients in rehabilitation centers with a disability-identity focus.

Participants and Methods:

An extensive literature review was conducted using PsycINFO, PubMed, as well as other open access databases with key terms being “healthcare disparities AND rehabilitation;” “psychology AND rehabilitation AND integration;” and “disability AND rehabilitation psychology,” with the included articles from peer-reviewed journals under publishing dates being between 2013 and 2023. Articles related to various forms of healthcare disparities, including race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, injury and severity, and the functioning of rehabilitation hospitals post-pandemic, were included. Other incorporated articles addressed advocacy and the role of psychology services within rehabilitation settings.

Results:

Froder-Pratt et al. (2019) and Perrin (2019) discuss disability-identity development and associated theories (i.e., critical disability identity theory) within the scope of rehabilitation psychology. Perrin (2019) cites existing research related to the role of gender identity, race, age, and other marginalizing factors (body size, hearing ability, mental health history) on health disparities among individuals with disabilities. As rehabilitation psychology continues to grow as a subspeciality, we find that individuals in rehabilitation hospitals are met with compounding discrimination factors, whether implicitly from providers or from the medical model that is not built with appropriate accessibility. Froder-Pratt et al. (2019) emphasize the importance of disability-identity discussions and assessment incorporated in psychological intervention while Perrin (2019) highlights clinical considerations that merge disability status with other demographic and individual-centered identities. Providing brief psychoeducation to team members regarding disability-identity can help bolster the individual’s identity.

Conclusions:

Rehabilitation psychologists are uniquely equipped to address a large spectrum of challenges in inpatient rehabilitation centers, both at the patient level, as well as broadly in the integrated care team. Although psychologists are typically trained to serve at the patient level alone, similar skills and interdisciplinary collaboration allow for advocacy of patients and the disability community. Continuous collaboration with other therapy-based professions (i.e., occupational, physical, speech) is critical in terms of addressing broader systemic issues that currently exist within medical models and advocating for patients who have been marginalized or overlooked by the medical model of rehabilitation services.