Use of a Logic Model to Develop an Innovative Hand Therapy Clinic to Provide Experiential Learning for Occupational Therapy Students

• Main Authors: Rose McAndrew, Vicki Kaskutas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Eastern Kentucky University 2020-07-01
• Series: Journal of Occupational Therapy Education
• Subjects: experiential learning; student clinics; student outcomes; logic model
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2020.040316

Occupational therapy (OT) students seek experiential learning opportunities to help them construct knowledge and meaning. Student clinics are increasing in prevalence as an effective means to engage in experiential learning. The student experiential learning clinic for hand therapy (SELC-HT) is a newly opened student clinic providing OT to under-insured individuals with upper extremity impairments. The SELC-HT used the student run free clinic (SRFC) logic model to systematically plan, implement, and evaluate its effectiveness. Planning started with evaluating the need and the context of the SELC-HT, allowing developers to state the long-term impacts of preparing students for future clinical practice, reintegrating patients without healthcare back to their roles, and contributing to the OT body of knowledge. Planning then progressed in a backward manner by first identifying measurable outcomes leading to these impacts. The output is data on the SELC-HT’s reach, indicating the clinic is moving toward these outcomes. Development of the activities followed, which will produce the output and outcome data. Lastly inputs were identified to carry out the activities. Following this careful planning, the clinic opened by moving forward through the SRFC logic model. At the conclusion of the first semester, evaluation of the SELC-HT occurred by examining the output data and measurable outcomes. Program evaluation occurred throughout the semester to assess whether the planned components were carried out effectively. As outlined in the SRFC logic model, iterative changes were made to the SELC-HT, with new outcomes, outputs, activities, and inputs implemented in the following semester to continue moving toward the impacts.