Abstract
Background: Type 1 diabetes management for young children requires caregiver involvement to prevent serious health complications. Objectives: Explore the lived experience of rural caregivers’ health management routines and perceptions of an occupation-based coaching (OBC) intervention. Methodology: Following a 12-week, OBC telehealth intervention designed to promote diabetes management and caregiver psychosocial well-being, researchers interviewed eight rural caregivers to explore their perceived quality of life utilizing a phenomenological approach. Findings: Three themes emerged related to caregivers’ OBC intervention needs: occupational deprivation and decreased well-being; longing for connection with social supports; and desire for knowledgeable, relatable, and accessible providers. Two themes emerged related to their experiences postintervention: satisfaction with diabetes management and psychosocial support and renewed hope for childhood normalcy. Conclusion: Despite drastic shift in family routines after a child’s T1D diagnosis, caregivers reported acceptability of OBC for improving health management routines in a rural community following OBC intervention.
Plain Language Summary Rural Caregivers of Children with Type 1 Diabetes Reported Perceptions of an Emerging Telehealth Occupational Therapy Intervention Families living in rural communities report many barriers to managing their child’s type 1 diabetes cares. Occupation-based coaching is an emerging occupational therapy intervention that can be delivered over telehealth. Families who participated in a 12-week clinical trial then completed an interview to discuss their experiences of raising a child with type 1 diabetes in a rural community and what areas they would like included in an occupational therapy intervention. The caregivers also discussed how the intervention improved their overall health and well-being.