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 the co-coursemaster for the Applied CIinical Research courses.

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

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, YL., Carr, D., Stark, S. (in press). Scoring, Clinical Utility and Psychometric Properties of the In-Home Medication Management Evaluation. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 73(1).

Stark, S., Somerville, E., Keglovits, M., Hu, Y., Conte, J., Hollingsworth, H., Yan, Y. (in press). Feasibility trial of tailored home modifications: Process outcomes. American Journal of Occupational Therapy.

Stark, S., Somerville, E., Keglovits, M., Conte, J., Li, M., Hu, Y., Yan, Y. (2017). Protocol for the home hazards removal program (HARP) study: a pragmatic, randomized clinical trial and implementation study. BMC geriatrics 17 (1): 90.

Murphy, M., Somerville, E., Keglovits, M., Hu, Y., Stark, S. (2017) The In-Home Medication Management Performance Evaluation (HOME-Rx): A Validity Study. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71 (4)

Stark, S., Somerville, E., Keglovits, M., Hu, Y, Conte, J., Hollingsworth, H. Yan, Y. A randomized controlled feasibility trial of tailored home modifications to improve activities of daily living and prevent falls. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (revision).

Somerville E, Smallfield S, Stark S, Seibert C, Arbesman M, Lieberman D. (2016). Occupational Therapy Home Modification Assessment and Intervention. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 70(5):7005395010p1-3. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2016.705002.

Keglovits, M., Somerville, E., Stark, S. (2015). The In-Home Occupational Performance Evaluation for informal caregivers providing assistance. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69(5).

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

Stark, S., Somerville, E., Morris, J. (2010). The In-Home Occupational Performance Evaluation. 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, Susan; Keglovits, M; Somerville, E. (2016). The Role of Occupational Therapy in Reducing Hospital Readmissions OT Practice, 21(15). CE-1–CE-8

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