Stephanie Tsai OTD, OTR/L
Assistant Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy
Keck Hospital
CHP 133
(323) 442-5370
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Stephanie Tsai received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and social behavior from the University of California, Irvine. She then completed her master’s degree in occupational therapy and went on to pursue her clinical doctorate of occupational therapy degree at the University of Southern California. As a doctoral resident at Keck Hospital of USC, she focused on researching and integrating assessment tools into occupational therapy practice to facilitate the generation of evidence demonstrating occupational therapy’s distinct role in acute care settings.
Dr. Tsai currently serves as a clinical faculty member at Keck Hospital of USC, where she works with a variety of patient populations and diagnoses across the continuum of care.
Education
Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
2017 | University of Southern California
Master of Arts (MA)
in Occupational Therapy
2016 | University of Southern California
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
in Psychology and Social Behavior
2013 | University of California, Irvine
Selected Publications
Tsai, S., Petrillo, G., & Peterson, E. (2024). Occupational therapy and participation in activities of daily living following cardiothoracic surgery in acute care: A retrospective study. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 87(5), 314–320. https://doi.org/10.1177/03080226231212984 Show abstract
Introduction. Patients recovering from cardiothoracic surgery in acute care experience physical and psychosocial challenges impacting participation in activities of daily living. Occupational therapists are well positioned to address these needs; however, there is little evidence exploring occupational therapy’s role in this area.
Method. This retrospective study of electronic medical records examined changes in activities of daily living participation for adult patients (n = 37) who received occupational therapy in acute care while recovering from cardiothoracic surgery via median sternotomy. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and paired t-tests compared patients’ scores on the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care “6-Clicks” Daily Activity Inpatient Short Form at occupational therapy evaluation and discharge from their inpatient stay.
Results. Patients showed statistically significant improvements on both assessments in activities of daily living participation while receiving occupational therapy services following cardiothoracic surgery. Lower body dressing, toileting, and bed mobility showed the greatest increases in the FIM categories.
Conclusion. Occupational therapists are valuable in addressing the complex needs of patients recovering from cardiothoracic surgery in acute care. Continued research is needed to provide further evidence supporting occupational therapy’s unique role in this setting.
Tsai, S., & Peterson, E. (2019, April). Championing high-quality care: Integrating assessments into occupational therapy acute care practice. OT Practice, 24(4), 12-15. Full text
In Chan News
December 17, 2019
Stephanie Tsai and Elyse Peterson to receive the 2020 AOTA Jeanette Bair Writer’s Award.
In the Media