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

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:

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

Hypotheses:

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

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

Exclusion criteria

• not medically stable
• are participating in other health promotion programs
• have severe hearing loss