Can strengthening older adults’ problem-solving skills through occupational therapy improve their occupational performance? A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background

Older adults’ occupational performance is challenged due to chronic health conditions, aging processes, and deteriorating functioning. Thus, their occupational performance cannot be expected to remain stable in the long term after an occupational therapy intervention. Older adults may therefore need to strengthen their problem-solving skills during occupational therapy not only to solve current occupational performance issues but also to maintain their improvements and deal with new such issues a later point in time.

Aims

This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to identify, analyse and present current scientific knowledge about the effectiveness and contents of occupational therapy interventions aimed at improving older adults’ occupational performance by strengthening their problem-solving skills.

Methods

MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO will be searched systematically to identify trials of occupational therapy interventions aimed at improving older adults’ occupational performance by strengthening their problem-solving skills. We will include randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental trials in populations aged 65+. Three reviewers will independently screen and select references, extract data and assess the quality of included studies using the Cochrane Collaboration’s risk of bias tool.

Significance

The findings can inform and inspire clinical practice and will help to identify the need for further research.

Keywords:

• Activities of Daily Living (ADL)
• elderly
• functioning
• occupational performance
• occupational therapy
• older adults
• problem-solving
• systematic review

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

The

study is supported by VIA University College, Denmark: The Department of Occupational Therapy in Aarhus and the Research Centre for Health and Welfare Technology, Programme for rehabilitation.