Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Occupational Therapy

Copyright Statement

All rights reserved. This publication is intended for use solely by faculty, students, and staff of Nova Southeastern University. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, now known or later developed, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author or the publisher.

First Advisor

Penelope Moyers

Date of original Performance / Presentation

January 2026

Publication Date / Copyright Date

1-1-2026

Abstract

Health promotion services for chronic disease should involve the health care provider’s expertise and the patient’s values, yet no tool has been developed for occupational therapy practitioners to implement shared decision-making (SDM) processes. Occupational therapy practitioners and older adults with chronic disease were stakeholders in this participatory action research (PAR) study. Focus groups were conducted to understand older adults' experiences with health promotion services in primary care and occupational therapy practitioners' experiences with providing health promotion interventions. A low-fidelity prototype of a patient decision guide was developed through iterative brainstorming sessions with stakeholders. The content developed through collaborative brainstorming sessions included a five-step process: (a) reflection and health priorities, (b) identify health promotion focus area, (c) shared decision-making, (d) explore and implement strategies, (e) check-in and adjust. Evidence-based intervention guidelines rated from high to low certainty are embedded within the guide. The PAR methodology in this study was effective in enabling occupational therapy practitioners and older adults with chronic disease to co-create a guide that meets the health promotion needs of end users, provides recommendations for evidence-based practice (EBP) interventions, and may empower occupational therapy practitioners to use SDM processes in primary care settings.

Disciplines

Occupational Therapy

Keywords

chronic disease; health promotion; occupational therapy; participatory action research; patient decision guide; shared decision-making

Download
To access this thesis/dissertation you must have a valid nova.edu OR mynsu.nova.edu email address and create an account for NSUWorks.

Free My Thesis

If you are the author of this work and would like to grant permission to make it openly accessible to all, please click the Free My Thesis button.

  Contact Author

Share

 
COinS