Rehabilitation needs and healthcare utilization of adults with cerebral palsy: A mixed methods study.

The study was done at one academic pediatric health system in the United States, so results may not apply to other settings. Most adults in the chart review were young adults, so it says little about older adults with cerebral palsy. Interview participants were mostly White, caregivers were mostly female and employed, and adults with cerebral palsy were mostly non-ambulatory, so other experiences may be missing. Interviews included only English-speaking participants. No adult with cerebral palsy chose or was able to participate in an interview alone, so caregiver views may dominate the qualitative themes. All participants received pediatric rehabilitation specialty care, so this may describe people with better access than adults who cannot get such care.

The work was supported by the Foundation for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Tai Foundation. The funders did not participate in study design, data collection or analysis, or manuscript preparation. NIH/NCATS Colorado CTSA grant support was disclosed for use of the REDCap database.

Do not read these records as proof that a transition program would improve function or reduce care needs. The study described needs, utilization, and documentation. It did not test an intervention.