Professionals' motivation to support parental self-management regarding children with physical disability in Dutch rehabilitation services: 'Please mind your gap'.
Ruud Wong Chung, Agnes Willemen, Jeanine Voorman and 3 others
PMID 34014585WHAT IT FOUND
Most therapists believe parents should actively manage their child's care, but few expect them to lead independently.
Professionals struggle to balance giving control versus taking over, often steering parents toward their own preferred methods despite valuing partnership.
Key findings
01Professionals are primarily autonomously motivated to support parental self-management, rather than driven by external rules or rewards.
02While most professionals value parental involvement, only a small minority expect parents to act as independent information seekers who take the initiative.
03Interviews revealed that professionals frequently struggle with the balance between supporting parents and taking control, often steering parents toward the professional's preferred direction.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study used self-reported data from professionals only, without input from parents, so there is no way to verify if professionals' perceptions match parents' experiences. The sample was limited to two rehabilitation centers in one region of the Netherlands, so findings may not apply to other countries or healthcare systems. The cross-sectional design means the study cannot determine if motivation causes better support or if other factors drive both. The survey instruments were not previously validated specifically for pediatric rehabilitation settings, though internal consistency was acceptable in this sample.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the high level of autonomous motivation as evidence that parents are actually being empowered. The study shows professionals *want* to support self-management, but interviews reveal they often struggle to let go of control and may steer parents toward their own preferred methods instead of facilitating true partnership.