The Multidisciplinary Care Model in Neuromuscular Disease, Movement Disorders Care: Jess Holguin, OTD, OT/L

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“What I do know is that there is a greater awareness of having occupational therapy weigh in throughout the continuum, from ICU all the way through outpatient surveillance monitoring of various diagnoses. Even knowing that, research has shown that early intervention of occupational therapy [is] cost effective in terms of its capacity to help with overall management of care and facilitating discharge, as well as maintaining quality of life.”

The care of patients with neuromuscular disease, as well as movement disorders, may involve a multitude of specialists, aimed at effectively developing a plan of care for these patient populations. According to Jess Holguin, OTD, OT/L, although the multidisciplinary care model is not always standard of care, it is well established at the University of Southern California’s Keck Hospital in Los Angeles, where he is an associate professor of clinical occupational therapy in the Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. 

Holguin sat down with NeurologyLive to discuss the involvements of occupational therapists throughout the continuum of care and the diagnosis-dependent, clinic-type setups that allow for the collaboration of different medical professionals. Holguin noted his involvement as a founding member of the USC ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) Clinic, which involves physicians, occupational therapists, physical therapists, dieticians, social workers, among others. The development of this clinic has also been modeled in other instances, particularly via USC’s Cerebrospinal Fluid Diversion Center, which includes a multidisciplinary program focused on medical and surgical management of CSF disorders.