Event Name/Course Title: What’s in Your Cognitive Toolbox? Standardized Assessment Use and Trends Among Acute Care Occupational Therapy Practitioners
Date of Event: Thursday August 21st
Start Time: 6:00pm
End Time: 7:30pm
Event Descripiton:
Presenters introduce cognitive assessments as a method of evaluating a patient's thinking and processing skills in the acute care setting. We emphasize the role of OT in evaluating functional cognition and detecting cognitive impairments following illness or injury. Participants will receive background on how occupational therapy practitioner’s use performance-based cognitive assessments to inform client centered care, make discharge recommendations, and plan rehabilitation approaches in alignment with by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) recommendations (AOTA, 2021). The session will also address current quality initiatives, advocating for formalized evaluation methods to assess cognition (Giles et al., 2020). Building on the work of Friend and colleagues’ (2024) survey of occupational therapy practitioners in level 1 trauma centers, we identify common cognitive screens, assessments, and activities used by OTPs across Level 1-5 trauma centers in the Midwest region of the United States. Insights from practitioners working in various trauma level hospitals in the Midwest contextualize current trends related to screening for cognitive impairment. Factors impacting the selection of assessments, tool availability, and training considerations among various trauma centers will be shared. Attendees will gain a blend of evidence, current practice strategies, and considerations when using standardized cognitive tools to address patients’ cognitive needs across various hospital types. This research contributes to AOTA's vision of consistently assessing cognition in clinical practice to improve patient outcomes (AOTA, 2021).
Speakers' Biographies:
Hannah Oldenburg, EdD, OTR/L, BCPR is an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota; Supplemental occupational therapist in acute care at Mayo Clinic-Rochester
Tamra Trenary, OTD, OTR/L is an occupational therapist and clinical education coordinator at Mayo Clinic leading the group model for Level II fieldwork students in acute care. She is a graduate from The College of St. Scholastica OT Program and earned her Post-Professional Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from the University of St. Augustine.
Payton Friend, OTD, OTR/L is an acute care occupational therapist at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, MN.
Amy Yule, OTS: Amy is a third-year occupational therapy student at Saint Catherine University currently completing her doctoral capstone project on cognitive tool use.
Learning Objectives:
1: Articulate the current cognitive evaluation tools and approaches in Midwest acute care hospitals.
2: Describe the factors that impact professional reasoning regarding cognitive tools use among hospitalized adult populations
Target Audience: All
Education Level: Introductory
Practice Area: Rehabilitaion and Disability
Contact Hours: 1.5
Fee: Free for MOTA Members, $30 for Non-MOTA Members.
Next Pelvic Health meeting, details to come!
The 2025 MOTA Annual Fall Conference is Here!
Where: Kelly Inn, St. Cloud MN (100 4th Ave S, St Cloud, MN 56301)
When: Friday October 3rd & Saturday October 4th, 2025
Please refer here to the 2025 Conference Program for more detailed information!
Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization.
P.O Box 582687
Minneapolis MN 55401
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