Family-Professional Collaborative Physical Therapy Intervention via Telehealth for Children with Developmental Disabilities: A Mixed-Method Feasibility Study.

Abstract

Aims: To evaluate attendance rates, daily therapy engagement, parents' perceptions regarding feasibility, acceptability, family-centeredness, and individualized outcomes of a collaborative telehealth-based physical therapy intervention for children with disabilities.

Method: Mixed-method design involving 15 families and 17 children with disabilities (range age 4-90 months). Parents recorded time spent on home activities. Family-centeredness was assessed using the Measure of Processes of Care-20-item (MPOC-20). The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) were used to measure individualized outcomes. Interviews were conducted on families' perceptions of the telehealth service.

Results: Parents attended an average of 8.29 out of 9 scheduled telehealth sessions and spent an average of 1.32 (±0.58) hours per day on therapy activities. Parents rated the services as family-centered "to a fairly great extent" or "to a great extent". On average, children achieved individualized goals. Parents identified therapists' collaborative behaviors and information sharing as facilitators, beliefs about their abilities and technical issues as barriers, and empowerment and active engagement as benefits of the telehealth sessions.

Conclusion: The family-professional collaborative telehealth physical therapy was perceived by parents as acceptable and feasible to address their children needs. Children achieved individualized goals and participating families actively engaged in the intervention process.