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Biomedical subjects

E B Stern

Publications and source records attributed to E B Stern.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Efficacy and efficiency: self-designed versus instructor-designed study tools.

During the course of their education, occupational therapy students learn to administer complex structured assessments. For easier administration of these assessments, students design note cards, which then replace cumbersome test manuals during administration. This study considered whether students could learn test administration with equal efficiency and efficacy if given test administration note cards rather than having to design their own. The results showed that the subjects using instructor-designed cards earned written test and practical examination scores similar to those of the subjects using self-designed cards. The subjects using instructor-designed cards spent significantly less (p = .003) total time in study than did the subjects using self-designed cards. The difference in time between the two groups was attributable to the time spent designing note cards. Therefore, distribution of instructor-designed note cards appears to offer equally effective and significantly more efficient learning when compared with that produced when students design their own cards. The differences in efficacy and efficiency were similar for students of different learning styles (as classified by Witkin's field-dependence/field-independence continuum) [corrected].

Audiovisual Aids↗
PubMed1991

Wrist extensor orthoses: dexterity and grip strength across four styles.

Orthoses that are used to stabilize, protect, and support the wrist during functional activities often interfere with normal movement and, therefore, with hand function. This study compared the manual dexterity and grip strength of 20 female subjects while using a free hand and while wearing each of four wrist extensor orthoses: a Futuro prefabricated wrist brace (No. 33), a volar thumbhole orthosis, a volar orthosis with a radial connector bar, and a dorsal orthosis with distal transverse arch support. Of these orthoses, the Futuro prefabricated wrist brace afforded the best overall dexterity, although it was significantly slower (p less than .05) than the other orthoses in a writing subtest. Of the custom-made orthoses, the volar style with radial connector bar afforded the best overall dexterity. All of the orthoses significantly (p less than .01) reduced grip strength. The Futuro prefabricated wrist brace afforded the strongest grip strength of the four orthoses studied, and the volar thumbhole orthosis permitted the strongest grip among the custom-made orthotic styles.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Volumetric comparison of seated and standing test postures.

Published protocols for the volumetric assessment of upper-extremity edema differ regarding patients' posture. The present study was designed to determine the effect of posture on test-retest reliability and mean volume. Thirty women were tested in both seated and standing postures. For the dominant hand, test-retest reliabilities for the seated posture were identical to those for the standing posture. Test-retest reliability was slightly stronger for the nondominant hand in sitting than for the same hand in standing. Both postures afforded clinically acceptable test-retest reliabilities. The mean volumes in sitting were significantly lower than those in standing (p less than .0001), thus suggesting that volumetric measures should be considered discontinuous if the patient's test posture is altered. Mean volumes of the dominant hand averaged 9.3 ml more than those of the nondominant hand. It is suggested that this discrepancy be considered in the establishment of goals for edema control and in the determination of the need for continued edema treatment.

Adolescent↗