How parents present therapeutic activities to health professionals through camerawork

Abstract

This study explores the interactional dynamics of technology-enabled treatments in which parents record their child for remote assessment by physiotherapists and occupational therapists. Focusing on parents of children with cerebral palsy, we examine how video recordings function as a visual tool for professional evaluation and coaching. Specifically, we analyze the variety of recording practices parents use to present therapeutic activities. Using an ethnomethodology-inspired microanalysis, we investigate the parents' camerawork when documenting treatment sessions at home. Data consist of videos uploaded to a digital platform. Findings highlight how parents actively shape what is assessed through filming choices, reflecting a form of ‘reflection in action.’ By analyzing video beginnings, endings, and camera-strategies, we identify variations in planned versus spontaneous filming approaches, as well as differences between manipulating the camera or the environment to optimize the camera view. The recording practices we identified contribute to better understanding of asynchronous remote care, revealing the critical role of parents in facilitating professional assessment and coaching through asynchronous video submissions. The findings underscore the evolving role of video in healthcare, particularly in remote and home-based treatments, where parents' visual documentation considerably impacts the course of the therapeutic process. We discuss how the dual role parents take on during TET blurs the lines between caregiving and professional practice. We highlight the flexibility and challenges faced by parents in integrating treatment into daily life while ensuring that the video content meets the presumed requirements and shed light on what parents present as relevant for the professionals to assess.