Purpose/hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of two smartphone applications: (1) GetMyROM – inclinometery-based and (2) DrGoniometry – photo-based in the measurement of active shoulder external rotation (ER) as compared to standard goniometry (SG). Participants: Ninety-four Texas Woman's University Doctor of Physical Therapy students from the School of Physical Therapy – Houston campus, were recruited to participate in this study. Materials/methods: Two iPhone applications were compared to SG using both novice and experienced raters. Active shoulder ER range of motion was measured over two time periods in random order by blinded novice and experienced raters. Results: Intra-rater reliability using novice raters for the two applications ranged from an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.79 to 0.81 with SG at 0.82. Inter-rater reliability (novice/expert) for the two applications ranged from an ICC of 0.92 to 0.94 with SG at 0.91. Concurrent validity (when compared to SG) ranged from 0.93 to 0.94. There were no significant differences between the novice and experienced raters. Conclusion: Both applications were found to be reliable and comparable to SG. A photo-based application potentially offers a superior method of measurement as visualizing the landmarks may be simplified in this format and it provides a record of measurement. Clinical relevance: Further study using patient populations may find the two studied applications are useful as an adjunct for clinical practice.

The treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis is typically focused on the involved lower extremity. There is a gap in the literature concerning the effectiveness of core stabilization training on the treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis. This investigation aimed to determine whether core stabilization improved the gait and functional ability of patients with knee osteoarthritis. Eighteen participants with knee osteoarthritis completed the six-week core stabilization intervention. Participants completed the gait motion analysis and the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score to assess self-perceived function, pre- and post-intervention. Gait speed improved (p = 0.006, d = 0.59), while the external knee adduction moment decreased (p = 0.034, d = −0.90). Moreover, self-reported function improved (p < 0.001, d = 1.26). The gait speed and external knee adduction moment changes met minimal detectable change thresholds, while gait speed also met the minimal clinically important difference. A six-week core stabilization program can thus improve gait speed and reduce the external knee adduction moment, which is tied to disease progression. Increased functional scores post-intervention indicate an important clinical improvement. Core stabilization training is a safe and potentially effective treatment option for this population.

Knee osteoarthritis impairs patients’ ability to function normally, specifically impacting their ability to walk without limitation. Research in other populations at risk for knee injury, including...

Introduction.: Despite an increase in the rigor of entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program admission, programs still struggle with student retention and success. The purpose of this study was to examine demographic and preadmission factors predictive of first year and overall program success in an entry-level public physical therapist education program. Subjects.: Retrospective data from 473 DPT students at the Texas Woman’s University in Houston, TX, who entered the program between 2010 and 2018. Methods.: This study included the following predictor variables: last 60 hours undergraduate (UG) grade point average (GPA), UG math/science GPA, overall UG GPA, science/nonscience major, Graduate Record Examination (GRE) component scores, GRE summed score (GRE-S), size and type of UG institution (dichotomized), gender, age, and personal grit score. Success in the program was measured by first-semester GPA, cumulative third-semester GPA, final program GPA, three-tiered ranking of academic and clinical education (CE) standing, completion of first-year program, and completion of the entire 3-year program. Results.: First-year program success (first-semester GPA, cumulative third-semester GPA, and first-year completion) was predicted by age, overall UG GPA, GRE-S, and all GRE components. GRE scores and UG GPA when entered together predicted 45.8% of the first-year GPA. Overall program success was predicted by UG GPA, GRE-S, and all GRE components. GRE-S and UG GPA when entered together predicted 34.8% of final program GPA. Academic standing was predicted by multiple predictors, whereas CE performance was only predicted by 2 components of the GRE and GRE-S. When comparing students who completed the program versus those who did not, significant differences were found in all GRE components and overall UG GPA. Receiver-operating-characteristics analysis was used to determine cutoff scores for the GRE and overall UG GPA, which best predict first-year and program retention. Conclusion.: Admissions committees of DPT should analyze their program-specific data to better guide their admissions decisions. Overall UG GPA and GRE continue to be strong predictors of physical therapist program success. In order to increase retention rates, DPT programs should consider additional resources for students who may be at risk.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a complex disorder marked with non-motor and motor impairments, including gait abnormalities and postural instability. As a result of balance dysfunction and postural in...

Background: Access to rehabilitation services is a critical yet under-studied dimension of health equity. Among the 6 domains of access, health care provider availability, defined as the presence of sufficient health care providers to meet population needs, is particularly underexplored in rehabilitation professions such as physical and occupational therapy. Current data reporting often lacks the geographic granularity required for effective workforce planning. Objective: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of mapping rehabilitation provider availability at the census tract level using geographic information systems and integrating public licensure and population data to inform equitable workforce planning. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted using publicly available state licensure data for physical and occupational therapists and demographic data from the American Community Survey. Residential addresses of rehabilitation providers were geocoded and matched to 2020 census tracts. Population-to-provider ratios were calculated and mapped using choropleth and bivariate mapping techniques. Population-to-provider ratios were calculated per tract and summarized overall and by rurality using 2020 Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) codes (urban: RUCA of 1-3; rural: RUCA of ≥4). The spatial dependence of ratios was tested using a spatial autocorrelation statistic, the global Moran I, in ArcGIS Pro using edge contiguity neighbors and row standardization. Results: Across 6896 tracts, ratios ranged from 4.5 to 11,147 persons per provider (median 1131, IQR 537-2501). By rurality, urban tracts (n=5734, 83.1%) had a median ratio of 1141 (IQR 2054), and rural tracts (n=1162, 16.9%) had a median ratio of 1093 (IQR 1690), indicating a broadly similar central tendency with somewhat greater variability in urban areas. The population-to-provider ratio exhibited significant positive spatial autocorrelation (global Moran I=0.305; Z=40.28; P<.001), consistent with clustered pockets of high and low availability rather than random dispersion. Conclusions: A replicable geographic information system protocol can integrate licensure and demographic data to produce interpretable population-to-provider metrics and spatial diagnostics at the census-tract level. In Texas, rehabilitation workforce availability is spatially clustered and not explained solely by an urban-rural divide, underscoring the value of small-area mapping for equitable workforce planning and policy decisions.