Somerville, Emily, OTD, OTR/L

Research Interests

  • Promoting the participation of older adults with functional limitations through the provision of intensive, tailored home modification interventions designed to enhance the performance of daily activities in the home.
  • Specific interest in helping older adults manage medications independently in the home.

Teaching Roles

Dr. Somerville is a course assistant for Evaluation and Intervention: Adults and Older Adults I and a tutor for Case Based Learning II: Occupational Performance Enabling Participation.

Education

2017: Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Program in Occupational Therapy
2007: MS in occupational therapy, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Program in Occupational Therapy
2005: BS in occupational therapy, Covenant College

Background

After earning a master’s degree in occupational therapy from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis in 2005, Dr. Somerville joined Dr. Susan Stark’s Participation, Environment and Performance Laboratory (PEPL). The lab aims to advance the practice of occupational therapy by conducting clinical trials as well as developing evidence-based guidelines followed by translating the findings into everyday clinical practice by identifying and resolving barriers to implementation. As a member of PEPL, Dr. Somerville is the lead occupational therapy interventionist and implements study interventions research participants in the various studies conducted in the lab. She also trains occupational therapists in the community to deliver evidence-based interventions developed by PEPL. Additionally, she is a study coordinator for a study that aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of a novel enhanced rehabilitation-transition program to reduce environmental barriers and improve daily performance and community participation.

Selected Publications

Somerville, E., Bollinger, R., Keleman, A., Haxton, M., Sarrami, B., Chen, S.-W., Yan, Y., & Stark, S. (2023). Tailored Medication Management Intervention for older adults: A study protocol. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 86(4). doi 10.1177/03080226221135366.

Blenden G., Somerville E., & Stark S. (2023). Efficacy, Feasibility, and Acceptability of In-Home Stroke Education for Stroke Survivors. Home Health Care Management & Practice, 35(3):200-205. doi:10.1177/10848223221145171

Somerville, E., Yan, Y., & Stark, S. (2023). A Process Evaluation of a Fall Prevention Intervention Using the RE-AIM Framework. OTJR : occupation, participation and health, 15394492231182398. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/15394492231182398

Fritz, B. A., King, C. R., Mehta, D., Somerville, E., Kronzer, A., Abdallah, A. B., ... & ENGAGES Research Group. (2022). Association of a perioperative multicomponent fall prevention intervention with falls and quality of life after elective inpatient surgical procedures. JAMA network open, 5(3), e221938-e221938.

Stark, S., Keglovits, M., Somerville, E., Hu, Y. L., Barker, A., Sykora, D., & Yan, Y. (2021). Home hazard removal to reduce falls among community-dwelling older adults: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA network open, 4(8), e2122044-e2122044

Rodakowski, J., Mroz, T. M., Ciro, C., Lysack, C. L., Womack, J. L., Chippendale, T., .... Somerville, E., Park, Melissa, & Piersol, C. V. (2021). Stimulating research to enhance aging in place. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and health, 15394492211022271.

Bollinger, R., Somerville, E., Keglovits, M., Hu, Y. L., & Stark, S. (2021). Feasibility of an Automated Bidet Intervention to Decrease Caregiver Burden. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 75(5).

Somerville, E.,
Massey, K., Keglovits, M., Vouri, S., Hu, Y. L., Carr, D., & Stark, S. (2019). Scoring, clinical utility, and psychometric properties of the in-home medication management performance evaluation (HOME–Rx). The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 73(2), 7302205060p1-7302205060p8.

Stark, S., Somerville, E., Conte, J., Keglovits, M., Hu, Y. L., Carpenter, C., ... & Yan, Y. (2018). Feasibility trial of tailored home modifications: Process outcomes. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 72(1), 7201205020p1-7201205020p10.

Stark, S., Somerville, E., Keglovits, M., Conte, J., Li, M., Hu, Y. L., & Yan, Y. (2017). Protocol for the home hazards removal program (HARP) study: a pragmatic, randomized clinical trial and implementation study. BMC geriatrics, 17(1), 1-9.

Murphy, M. C., Somerville, E., Keglovits, M., Hu, Y. L., & Stark, S. (2017). In-home medication management performance evaluation (HOME–RX): A validity study. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71(4), 7104190020p1-7104190020p7.

Stark, S., Stark, S., Keglovits, M., & Somerville, E. (2016). A randomized controlled feasibility trial of tailored home modifications to improve activities of daily living. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 70(4_Supplement_1), 7011520290p1-7011520290p1.

Somerville, E., Smallfield, S., Stark, S., Seibert, C., Arbesman, M., & Lieberman, D. (2016). Occupational therapy home modification assessment and intervention. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 70(5), 7005395010p1-7005395010p3. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2016.705002.

Keglovits, M., Somerville, E., & Stark, S. (2015). In-home occupational performance evaluation for providing assistance (I–HOPE assist): An assessment for informal caregivers. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69(5), 6905290010p1-6905290010p9.

Stark, S. L., Somerville, E., Keglovits, M., Smason, A., & Bigham, K. (2015). Clinical reasoning guideline for home modification interventions. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69(2), 6902290030p1-6902290030p8.

Stark, S. L., Somerville, E. K., & Morris, J. C. (2010). In-home occupational performance evaluation (I–HOPE). The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 64(4), 580-589.

Stark, S., Landsbaum, A., Palmer J., Somerville, E. & Morris, J. (2009). Home modifications improve daily activity performance of older adults. The Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 76, 235-245.

Book Chapters and Others

Achterhof, S., Somerville, E. (2017). The links between healthcare and housing, research and practice. Innov-age, 19

Renda, M., Lee, S., Keglovits, M., & Somerville, E. (2016). The role of occupational therapy in reducing hospital readmission. OT Practice, 21, 15.

Stark S., Somerville E., & Russell-Thomas D. (2011). Choosing assessments for home modifications. In: Christenson M & Chase C, eds. Occupational therapy and home modifications: Promoting safety and supporting participation, Bethesda, MD: American Occupational Therapy Association.

Awards/Honors

2021: The Arlene and Meyer Kopolow Award for Excellence in Geriatrics, Psychiatry and Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine
2019: AOTA Cordelia Myers AJOT Best Article Award

Somerville, Emily

Somerville, Emily, OTD, OTR/L

Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy and Neurology

Curriculum Vitae

Contact Information

Phone: (314) 273-4132
Fax: (314) 286-1601
[email protected]

ORCiD ID

0000-0003-2843-9640

Ranked as the Number Three OT Program in the Nation

Close Get Started Panel

Get Started

We welcome inquiries from prospective students, potential collaborators, community partners, alumni and others who want to connect with us. Please complete the form below to begin the conversation.

Close Schedule a Visit Panel

Schedule an Info Session

We are excited that you are considering applying to the Program in Occupational Therapy at Washington University. Please join us for a Zoom Information Session for either our entry-level MSOT or OTD degrees or our online Post-Professional OTD. Current faculty members will discuss the degree program and answer any question you may have. We are offering these sessions on the following days and times. The content is the same for each one, so you only need to sign up for one.

Upcoming ENTRY-LEVEL Degree ZOOM Info sessions:

Schedule an Entry-Level Info Session

Upcoming PP-OTD Degree ZOOM Info session:

Schedule a PP-OTD Info Session