Zusammenfassung

Return to Everyday Activities in the Community and Home (REACH) is a lifestyle intervention model for middle-aged and older adults. The goal of REACH is to reduce sedentary behaviour, increase physical activity, and increase adoption of strength and balance exercises. In this feasibility study we completed a formative evaluation to assess the effectiveness, impact and reception of the REACH instructor training course. Our aim was to summarise perceptions of the model and identify gaps in curriculum delivery. The REACH Instructor training course occurred over four sessions, each of two hour duration. The training methods included didactic and participatory elements, plus a comprehensive instructors’ manual and handouts. The participants were provided with foundational knowledge, including principles of behaviour change theory. Participants also practiced teaching components of the program to their peers. We conducted semi-structured interviews at the end of the training session, and administered a Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Printable Materials (PEMAT-P) and session feedback forms. There were three participants who completed the study; all were community-based exercise physiologists with an average of 17 (8) years of experience. Emerging themes from participants’ feedback included: credentials required, how to best prepare instructors for teaching REACH, the ideal learning setting and linking the instructor manual to presentation slides. The PEMAT-P scores for the instructor manual were 98 (0.03) % for understandability, and 100% for actionability. Each session was rated very good or excellent for presentation style and overall rating. We applied participant feedback to the existing instructor curriculum.