Instructing Students How to Use Evidence-based Technology Interventions with Older Adults

Abstract

Current evidence supports the use of technology with older adults and the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education standards for entry-level occupational therapy programs mandate instruction on the use of technology to support occupational performance. The literature does not clearly define specific strategies to teach entry-level occupational therapy students how to implement technology interventions with older adults. The purpose of this paper is to provide OT educators with recommendations for teaching entry-level students to use evidence-based technology with older adults. The authors reviewed current literature. The recent evidence helped the authors define practical curriculum recommendations for instructing entry-level occupational therapy students to integrate technology into older adults' interventions. Recommendations include use of telehealth visits, teleconferencing, iPad applications, smart phone applications, texting, emails, and video applications. With technology continually changing, occupational therapy instructors must increase their awareness of new applications and computer programs that occupational therapists can utilize in older adult interventions to maximize knowledge translation to their students.

Telehealth Delivery of Evidence-Based Intervention Within Older Adult Populations: A Scoping Review

“…Telehealth service delivery is increasingly used to facilitate older adults’ participation and engagement in meaningful and necessary occupational activity. Telehealth service delivery is an overarching term for the delivery of occupational therapy services using some form of audio-visual technology or teleconferencing as a modality (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2013; Scott et al, 2020; Tilstra et al, 2019). Recognized on the international level as well, the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) defines telehealth as “the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to deliver health-related services when the provider and client are in different physical locations” (p.1).…”