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Student-delivered Telehealth Program for COVID-19 Education and Health Promotion

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Aging Problems
Healthy Lifestyle
Aging
Health Behavior
Healthy Aging
Aging Well
Self-management
Chronic Illnesses, Multiple
Healthy Life Style
Self Care
Interventions
Behavioral: Telehealth coaching sessions
Registration Number
NCT04492527
Lead Sponsor
University of British Columbia
Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to ensure effective health management among community-living older adults during unprecedented times, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Detailed Description

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has made the world transition to practices of quarantine, social distancing and social isolation. While they serve as prevention strategies for COVID-19, they may also cause an increase of other health problems. As well, closures of public areas and financial challenges act as barriers to exercise and dietary quality. Thus quarantine-type strategies, while needed, compromise the ability to self-manage one's health and increase their risk of adverse health events.

Evidence suggests the negative effects of such quarantine-type strategies are especially being felt among Canada's seniors. A recent report by Statistics Canada indicates that 60% of Canadians, ≥65 years of age are 'very' concerned about their health due to social and economic consequences of COVID-19. Moreover, 80% of individuals reported being 'very' anxious about overloading the health system. This may in turn lead to rash decisions not to access health services as needed. Clearly, efforts are required to support older individuals to optimally manage their health to prevent disease and disability.

In British Columbia (BC), various specialized health resources have emerged to support people during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many are passive in that they require individuals to initiate contact in response to a concern, and none have a specific focus on health promotion or disease prevention and management.

This study will ensure that community-living adults ages 65 years and older are effectively managing their health during these unprecedented times. Participants will receive a kit containing a self-help manual, a Health Report Card, and COVID-19 education. They will also received 6 telephone/video conference sessions with a student-coach who will utilize motivational interviewing techniques to foster lifestyle modification, and self-management.

Objectives:

1. To quantitatively evaluate the effect of the two-month, six session (30-45 minutes/session) COACH program on health self-management, measured using the Health Directed Behaviour subscale in the Health Education Impact Questionnaire (heiQ),9 among community-living adults ≥65 years of age.

2. To qualitatively describe the subjective experiences of participants receiving the COACH program.

Hypotheses:

1. COACH will improve health directed behaviour in community-living adults, ≥65 years of age.

2. COACH will also improve secondary outcomes in the areas of mood, social support, health-related quality of life, health promotion self-efficacy, and other self- management domains in the heiQ.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
75
Inclusion Criteria
  • age 65 years or older
  • living within a community in British Columbia
  • have access to a telephone or video conferencing program
  • able to communicate in English
  • have had no previous COVID-19 diagnosis by health professionals
  • have cognitive-communicative ability to participate as per clinical judgement
  • can provide informed consent
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Exclusion Criteria
  • not medically stable
  • are participating in other health promotion programs
  • have severe hearing loss
Read More

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Telehealth coaching sessionsTelehealth coaching sessionsReceives the Telehealth-delivered coaching sessions.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change from baseline: Health Directed Behaviour at 2 monthsBaseline, Post-intervention (immediately after the 2-month intervention)

Health Education Impact Questionnaire (HeiQ) that evaluates health directed behaviour for chronic disease management.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Medical Outcomes Study (MOS): Short Form-36Baseline, Post-intervention (immediately after the 2-month session)

Survey scale that evaluates at health-related quality of life.

Self-Rated Abilities for Health Practices ScaleBaseline, Post-intervention (immediately after the 2-month session)

28-item survey scale that looks at health promotion self-efficacy.

Depression, Anxiety, Stress ScaleBaseline, Post-intervention (immediately after the 2-month intervention)

21-item survey scale that looks at perceived depression, anxiety and stress.

Medical Outcomes Study (MOS): Social Support SurveyBaseline, Post-intervention (immediately after the 2-month session)

19-item survey that evaluates perceived social support.

Self-managementBaseline, Post-intervention (immediately after the 2-month session)

Health Education Impact Questionnaire

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of British Columbia

🇨🇦

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

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