Rural Caregiver Perceptions on the Content and Receipt of a Diabetes Management Telehealth Occupation-Based Coaching Intervention.
Vanessa D Jewell, Katie J Funk, Alexis Currie and 4 others
PMID 39344182WHAT IT FOUND
Rural caregivers of children with Type 1 diabetes described feeling isolated and sleep-deprived before coaching.
They valued the telehealth sessions for holding them accountable and helping them feel heard. This support helped them manage their child's health proactively and find a new normal.
Key findings
01Caregivers reported significant occupational deprivation, specifically disrupted sleep and social isolation, due to the demands of managing their child's Type 1 diabetes.
02The coaching intervention was valued for providing accountability and psychosocial support, which helped caregivers shift from reactive to proactive management.
03Caregivers expressed a strong desire for providers who were knowledgeable about diabetes and accessible, noting that rural isolation limited their support systems.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample was very small (eight caregivers) and homogeneous, limiting transferability. The study was conducted during the pandemic, which may have increased feelings of isolation and influenced the positive reception of the social support provided by the intervention. There is a risk of social desirability bias, as caregivers may have reported positive experiences to please the researchers or because they had just completed the intervention.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the Creighton University Health Science Strategic Faculty Investment Fund.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the caregivers' satisfaction as evidence that the coaching improves clinical outcomes like blood glucose control. The study reports on perceptions and lived experiences, not on the effectiveness of the intervention for managing diabetes.