Protocol for the Process Evaluation of the SENSE-Cog Sensory Support Intervention Field Trial to Improve Quality of Life for Older People Receiving Home Care in Australia.

BACKGROUND

A field trial of a home-delivered hearing and vision support intervention will assess its impact on the quality of life and well-being of home care recipients with hearing and/or vision impairment and their care partners.

AIMS

This paper outlines the protocol for a process evaluation of the field trial. The process evaluation aims to identify discrepancies between expected and actual outcomes, understand contextual influences, assess implementation fidelity and evaluate the feasibility, appropriateness and acceptability of the intervention.

METHODS

Data will be collected from 87 home care recipients with hearing/vision impairment, their care partner and the sensory therapist who will deliver the intervention at multiple points during the 3-month intervention. Likert-scale ratings for feasibility, appropriateness and acceptability will be gathered. Proxy measures of fidelity, such as intervention session completion rates, will be obtained to ascertain whether the intervention was delivered as designed. Post-intervention, 20% of participants will complete semi-structured interviews to explore contextual and causal factors. Data analysis will include descriptive statistics, regression analysis and thematic qualitative analysis.

DISCUSSION

The process evaluation will elicit the perspectives of home care recipients and their care partners regarding the intervention experience.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Older adults with lived experience with dementia and hearing and/or vision will contribute to the proposed research by shaping the interview topic guide to ensure its appropriateness and relevance for the target population. Their insights will result in a more rigorous study and improve the likelihood of the final intervention meeting real-world needs.