Paula J Gardner, PhD and The New York Academy of Medicine, Division of Health Policy
April 2010
This study examined the impact of the OATS computer training courses on older adult participants. Findings were generated from an integrated analysis of all study data that served to complement one another. In particular, field notes and individual narratives collected during the site visits complemented the quantitative data from the telephone surveys by providing context and highlighting the lived experience of the older adults. Data from the service provider interviews provided an additional lens through which to examine both the experience of the older adults as well as the OATS training itself. Together these data provide a comprehensive picture of the OATS training and the impact of the training on participants’ computer skills and usage, social connectedness, social participation and access to information.