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Engagement in the pediatric rehabilitation intervention process: its nature, measurement, and role in the determination of outcomes
Investigator (PI): King, Gillian A
Performing Organization (PO): (Current): Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Bloorview Research Institute / (416) 425-6220
Supporting Agency (SA): Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
Initial Year: 2014
Final Year: 2019
Record Source/Award ID: CIHR/133397
Funding: Total Award Amount: $616,109
2015 Award Amount: $96,262
Award Type: Grant
Abstract: The engagement of children/youth with disabilities, and their parents, in rehabilitation interventions has long been considered to be critical to achieving successful outcomes. A fully engaged client is actively invested in the intervention session. He or she is receptive to what is happening, shares thoughts and experiences, is confident about the importance of the intervention, and shows enthusiasm. Client engagement is thought to enhance the attainment of goals and even reduce the length and cost of services. However, no measures of client engagement exist in the pediatric rehabilitation literature. As a result, research on the importance of engagement for outcomes and the best ways to foster engagement has been hampered. We propose a program of research that will (a) ask children/youth, parents, and service providers to describe the nature of client engagement in pediatric rehabilitation; (b) develop reliable and valid measures of the engagement of children/youth and parents that will apply to any type of rehabilitation intervention; and then (c) examine the predictive power of engagement in a series of intervention settings. The research will focus on children/youth receiving interventions targeting gross motor function or independence-related skills, and parents of younger children receiving standard outpatient therapy or early intervention services. It will also include service providers' perspectives of children's and parents' levels of engagement. This practice-based research will inform and potentially change service providers' perspectives and practice with respect to understanding, measuring, and optimizing engagement in rehabilitation-related interventions. Further, this research has the potential to reduce service costs and increase client satisfaction and outcomes through the use of engagement principles in the design and delivery of pediatric rehabilitation interventions.
MeSH Terms:
  • Child
  • * Disabled Persons
  • Early Intervention, Educational
  • Health Care Costs
  • Humans
  • Motor Skills
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care
  • Outpatients
  • * Patient Participation
  • Patient Satisfaction
  • Pediatrics /economics
  • /*methods
  • Program Development
  • Rehabilitation /economics
  • /*methods
  • Treatment Outcome
Keywords:
  • childhood disability
  • client engagement
  • measurement
  • mixed methods
  • service delivery
Country: Canada
State: Ontario
Zip Code: M4G 1R8
UI: 20162071
Project Status: Completed