Seminars in Ageing: Developing Recommendations for Remotely Assessing and Managing Physical Function in Older Adults

Professor David Scott

About the presenter

Professor David Scott is an exercise scientist based at the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN) at Deakin University. His research focuses on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of sarcopenia, and he has led several clinical trials of exercise and nutrition for maintaining and improving physical function during ageing. His recent work explores the role of digital health in supporting older adults to self-manage musculoskeletal health conditions. He has published over 260 journal articles and has received over $8M in competitive research funding. He is the Chair of the ANZSSFR’s Sarcopenia Diagnosis and Management Task Force, and in 2023, he convened the international Remote Assessment and Management of Physical Function (RAMP) Working Group.

About the seminar

Developing Recommendations for Remotely Assessing and Managing Physical Function in Older Adults Based on Consumer and Expert Consensus

Remote healthcare delivery, including the use of digital health interventions, has emerged as an effective method for managing health outcomes, but its design and implementation often overlook the needs and preferences of end-users. This is particularly true for remote healthcare aimed at improving physical function in older adults, where existing approaches and technologies are generally not informed by consumers and the health experts who support them.

To address this critical gap, the Remote Assessment and Management of Physical Function (RAMP) Working Group has undertaken two separate international modified Delphi processes to develop consumer and expert consensus on remote assessment and management of physical function in older adults.

Research, consumer (aged 60 years or older) and health experts co-developed consumer and expert Delphi surveys, which were completed by 654 and 108 respondents, respectively, from 21 countries. Over multiple Delphi rounds, consumers achieved consensus on 18 statements, and experts achieved consensus on 19 statements, regarding preferences for remote care for physical function.

These statements have been consolidated by the RAMP Working Group into several recommendations emphasising that remote care is feasible and acceptable for older adults, and can be successfully implemented by health professionals, with necessary training, organisational and health system support.

This presentation details the findings of these Delphi processes and discusses future directions for the development of tools and guidelines to remotely assess and manage physical function in older adults.