Telehealth Lifestyle Pilot Study for Improving Occupational Performance in Older Adults.
Cortney M Leverentz, Brianne Salvati, Cary Moore and 3 others
PMID 39385615WHAT IT FOUND
Twelve older adults completed six telehealth lifestyle sessions.
Goal attainment improved significantly, but quality of life scores did not change. The short duration and lack of a control group mean this shows the program was feasible, not that it works.
Key findings
01Participants showed statistically significant improvements in occupational performance, measured by goal attainment, after completing the six-week program.
02Health-related quality of life did not improve significantly; one subscale increased slightly while five others declined, though none of these changes reached statistical significance.
03The intervention was feasible, with high attendance rates and no adverse events related to the sessions themselves.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study had a very small sample size of only twelve participants. There was no control group, so it is impossible to know if the improvements were due to the intervention or other factors like natural variation or the passage of time. The sample was homogeneous, consisting entirely of White participants with higher education levels, which limits how these results apply to other populations. The intervention was delivered by the researchers who developed it, which may introduce bias. The study was not powered to detect small changes in quality of life, and the short duration may not have been enough to see broader health benefits.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by a grant from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this program improves health-related quality of life. While goal attainment improved, the measures for physical, social, and mental well-being showed no significant change, and some trends were negative.