Exploring home safety risk assessment tools for telehealth use in occupational therapy

Introduction:
Australia is currently facing an ageing endemic with increasing challenges for primary health-care. Occupational therapists oversee home safety assessments to ensure that elderly patients will be safe in their home environment. These assessments are conducted in person; however, with the increase in accessibility to technology, alternative methods are being investigated. These include the use of smartphones, virtual reality, and3-D scanning technology. However, with the application of digital emergence, so are their limitations. One such limitation is an appropriate digital home safety assessment tool for occupational therapists to use when conducting home safety assessments. The current investigation has two studies whose objectives are to meet this limitation.

Objective:
To create an appropriate digital home safety assessment tool for occupational therapists to use when performing a digital home safety assessment.

Method:
The first study will conduct a scoping review incurrent home safety assessment tools available. Subsequently, the second study will create a digital home safety assessment tool from the scoping review. The digital home safety assessment tool will then be trialled for feasibility through focus groups of occupational therapists. Post-trial, the tool will undergo refinement based on the data from the focus groups.

Results:
Qualitative data will be collected from the focus groups. The data will undergo thematic analysis. This will support in refinement of the digital home safety assessment tool to make it fit for purpose.

Summary: The current investigation aims to add to the growing evidence of alternative methods for occupational therapists to perform home safety assessments.