Home Visits by Occupational Therapists Before Discharge
Author Information
Author(s): Lannin Natasha Anne, Clemson Lindy, McCluskey Annie, Lin Chung-Wei Christine, Cameron Ian D, Barras Sarah
Primary Institution: The University of Sydney
Hypothesis
Can pre-discharge home visits by occupational therapists improve functional performance in older people undergoing rehabilitation?
Conclusion
Pre-discharge home visits by occupational therapists are feasible, but a more effective recruitment strategy is needed for larger studies.
Supporting Evidence
- The study showed that home visits can help older people prepare for living independently after hospital discharge.
- Participants receiving home visits reported better performance in activities of daily living.
- Recruitment challenges highlighted the need for a more effective strategy in future studies.
Takeaway
This study looked at whether visits from therapists before going home from the hospital can help older people do better at home. It found that while the visits are possible, getting enough people to join the study is hard.
Methodology
Ten patients were randomly assigned to receive either a pre-discharge home visit or standard in-hospital assessment, with outcomes measured at multiple time points.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to self-reporting of outcomes and the subjective nature of some assessment tools.
Limitations
Recruitment was slow, and the small sample size limited the ability to detect significant differences between groups.
Participant Demographics
Participants were predominantly female, aged 65 or older, and mostly lived alone.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.012 for NEADL at 2 weeks, 0.003 at 2 months
Confidence Interval
Wide confidence intervals limit interpretation of results.
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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