Title: The Development of Culturally-Appropriate Educational Materials to Facilitate Comprehension and Adherence to Occupational Therapy Interventions

Purpose: The purpose of this capstone project is to enhance the engagement of the Hispanic population with occupational therapy (OT) services by developing translated educational resources that will support their ability to understand and implement their plan of care in a hospital.

Methods: A literature review supported the need for improved access of culturally-appropriate healthcare material for the Hispanic community. A needs assessment served to interview staff members at the capstone facility to gain knowledge about the current practices and available resources offered intended to enhance the engagement of the Hispanic population with OT services. All handouts were developed in English, utilizing best practices of educational handout development, as described in literature review. The translation process involved a multi-step process and interprofessional collaboration with WellStar Language Access Department and Georgia State World (GSU) Language and Culture Department.

Results: Four department binders were established for this doctoral capstone project. A total of fifteen educational handouts were developed in English covering a wide spectrum of topics. Of the fifteen developed handouts, eleven were translated into Spanish; the remaining four documents will be translated as part of the sustainability plan. The student delivered a presentation to the staff at the capstone facility and obtained feedback about the finalized materials, and it was evident the staff was enthusiastic about the outcome of the doctoral capstone project. The doctoral capstone project established interprofessional collaboration and fostered the relationship for continued partnership between WellStar and GSU.

Conclusion: The doctoral capstone project addressed a gap in culturally-appropriate OT resources for Hispanic patients at the capstone facility. The development and translation of educational handouts represents a contribution to improving patient care and communication access within the hospital system.