Lifestyle Redesign®
Lifestyle Redesign is an innovative intervention approach developed at USC Chan that has been shown to improve health and wellness by preventing and managing chronic conditions through building healthier lifestyles. At USC Chan, our clinicians and researchers are synergizing their work in novel ways to grow a large patient data repository, develop innovative outcome measures of health and well-being, study people’s lived experiences, and scale interventions for diverse populations.
History
Lifestyle Redesign was initially deployed in the pioneering USC Well Elderly Study, which showed that preventive occupational therapy slows the declines associated with typical aging, improves health, functioning, and life satisfaction and reduces health care costs (Clark et al., 1997). This evidence-based intervention was notable as the first occupational therapy research study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Since then, it has continued to proliferate at USC Chan through our research, patient care, and education.
Research
Lifestyle Interventions for Health Promotion and Prevention continues to be a core area of research at USC Chan today. In the Lifestyle Redesign® for Chronic Conditions Laboratory, one of our largest and most well-funded labs, we explore the impact of chronic conditions such as diabetes and arthritis on health and well-being, particularly among populations which are medically underserved or at elevated risk for poor health and quality of life. In the Healthy Aging Research & Technology Laboratory, we study how lifestyle interventions can optimize health in older adults and conducted a pilot study of the ¡Vivir Mi Vida! lifestyle program focusing on health outcomes in late-midlife Latin-x patients.
Patient Care
Our occupational therapists at the USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice utilize Lifestyle Redesign interventions to treat a variety of populations. Operating within a complex health care system, we work with clients to prevent and manage chronic conditions through building healthier lifestyles. We offer Lifestyle Redesign programs for adolescents and adults of all ages, including: Weight Management, Diabetes Management, Chronic Pain Management, Mental Health and Movement Disorders.
Education
Our USC Chan undergraduate students can take courses that discuss Lifestyle Redesign principles, such as OT 250 Introduction to Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy or OT 312 Creating a Sustainable Lifestyle, and our graduate students can take the elective course OT 583 Lifestyle Redesign, a seminar examining occupations and Lifestyle Redesign as a contribution to health and well-being. A Graduate Certificate in Foundations of Lifestyle Redesign® has now been developed for current USC Chan Graduate Students and USC Chan Alumni.
To expand access to Lifestyle Redesign training and enable OT clinicians to utilize Lifestyle Redesign in clinical practice, the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy is excited to soon offer a certification in Lifestyle Redesign. The certification will involve continuing education courses in Lifestyle Redesign topics, motivational interviewing training, mentored practice hours, and a final skills assessment.
Contact Us
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