Telehealth interventions in occupational therapy with older adults: Results from a scoping review targeting better health promotion

Abstract

IntroductionTelehealth interventions have the potential to enhance access to care and improve efficiency while reducing the burden on patients. Although telehealth interventions are well accepted and adopted in physical therapy, their usage in occupational therapy for older adults is less common, and limited information exists regarding their setting and context.ObjectiveTo provide an inventory and synthesis of telehealth interventions in occupational therapy for older adults.MethodFor published studies on telehealth‐based occupational therapy interventions in older adults between 2000 and 2022, six databases were reviewed. Data extraction and analysis were guided by the taxonomies developed by Tulu, McColl and Law and informed by the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement.FindingsTwenty‐three studies on telehealth interventions in occupational therapy for older adults were identified, mostly from North American authors (n = 11; 47.8%) and randomised clinical trials (n = 9; 39.1%). Most participants had a health problem (n = 20; 87.0%), mainly stroke (n = 9; 39.1%). Interventions focussed primarily on symptom management education (n = 12; 52.2%) of community‐dwelling adults with health conditions, using videoconferencing systems or applications (n = 14; 60.7%). Interventions were delivered from the healthcare centre (n = 6; 26.1%) to the person's home (n = 18; 78.3%) synchronously (n = 19; 82.6%). About one third (n = 8; 34.8%) of the studies specified the therapist's location.ConclusionPublished studies on telehealth interventions in occupational therapy with older adults have mainly focussed on the synchronous training and education of participants using videoconferencing systems or applications. According to these studies, the scope of interventions is limited and could be expanded, for example, through occupational development and environmental modification. To better understand and describe best practices in the use of telehealth in occupational therapy, future studies should provide more details about the interventions performed, the technology used and the environmental settings of the therapist.

Application and Challenges of the Technology Acceptance Model in Elderly Healthcare: Insights from ChatGPT

“…The TAM has served as a valuable framework for assessing the elderly's perception and acceptance of various healthcare technologies. In the realm of telehealth, TAM can be employed to gauge how elderly individuals perceive and embrace remote consultations, monitoring, and virtual care technologies [24,28,34,[37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][81][82][83][84]. Furthermore, TAM has been proven useful in understanding the factors influencing the adoption of wearable health devices among the elderly, including smartwatches and fitness trackers designed to monitor vital signs and activity levels [28,45,46].…”

“…It is also reported as aiding in comprehending how elderly individuals perceive and adopt assistive technologies, including smart home devices, medication reminders, and other aids that enhance independent living [5,21,26,36,50]. In the domain of rehabilitation, TAM can be employed to explore the acceptance of virtual reality and gamified applications, considering factors like engagement, perceived benefits, and ease of use [34,36,40,[50][51][52][53][54][55]. Additionally, the model is valuable in assessing the elderly's acceptance of AI-driven healthcare support, including health-related chatbots or virtual assistants, and elucidating factors influencing adoption [39,56].…”