Families' and therapists' experience of a telehealth programme for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rachel Oliveira, Marisa Mancini, Priscilla Figueiredo and 3 others
PMID 41172118WHAT IT FOUND
Families and therapists first feared remote care, then valued weekly video review of home goals and low-cost adaptations.
They described stronger partnership and family confidence, while internet, devices, and caregiver strain remained challenges.
Key findings
01Participants initially questioned remote care because it did not involve physical interaction and families feared doing therapy incorrectly.
02Participants reported that videos helped them analyse home tasks together and choose strategies for prioritized goals.
03Families reported increased confidence in managing care, while therapists questioned whether weekly in-person service was still needed.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study interviewed only families and therapists who completed the programme, so it does not describe the experiences of families who dropped out or did not continue. Experiences were collected immediately after a 4-month programme, so longer-term adherence and effects were not examined. Participants were from a rehabilitation centre serving low-income families in Belo Horizonte, so findings may not fit other settings or socioeconomic groups. Most interviewed caregivers were mothers, so perspectives of fathers, other caregivers, or other family members may be missing. Only 20 of 27 invited therapists took part, and the researchers were involved in designing and implementing the programme, which may shape the themes. It is a qualitative study, so it describes experiences and cannot show whether the telehealth programme improved child outcomes.
Declared interests
The study was funded by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico. The supplied text does not report a separate conflict-of-interest declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the reported family confidence and participants' accounts of children's performance as proof that telehealth improves function in cerebral palsy. This study asked participants how they experienced the programme, not whether it changed outcomes, and it included only people who completed the programme.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →