A Contextualised Evidence-Based Interprofessional Rehabilitation Model Responsive to the Needs of Children With Cerebral Palsy in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Research Protocol for a Sequential Multi-Method Study. (Preprint)

Abstract

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a common motor disability in children, and it refers to a group of disorders that affect a child’s ability to move, maintain balance and posture. Children with CP-related motor disorders experience disturbances of sensation, perception, cognition, communication, and behavior, that are due to epilepsy. They may also have secondary musculoskeletal problems. Interprofessional team is needed to manage CP. However, in KwaZulu-Natal, rehabilitation services are fragmented, with departments working in isolation. Thus, there is a need to develop an interprofessional model of care responsive to the needs of those involved in the care of children with CP (CWCP).

This study aims generate data that will be used to propose an interprofessional model of care responsive to the needs of children with cerebral palsy in KwaZulu-Natal.

This study will employ a phased sequential multi-method approach. Phase one will map the current evidence on the interprofessional rehabilitation practices utilized to manage CP in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) through a systematic scoping review, complemented with in-depth interview (IDI) schedule of Health Care Practitioners (HCPs) in KwaZulu-Natal. In Phase two, quantitative and qualitative data will be collected through a validated structured questionnaire (cross-sectional survey) and IDI and focus group discussion (FGD) schedule, respectively. The results obtained from phases one and two will be used in phase three to propose and validate a model of care through a Delphi technique. The study has obtained ethics approval and gatekeeper permission from the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Biomedical Research Ethics Committee (BREC) and the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Department of Health, respectively.

Data collection for the study commenced in October 2023. Results will be disseminated through publications in peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations and the thesis will be placed in the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s library repository.

This study is anticipated to provide an evidence-based interprofessional model of care responsive to the needs of CLWCP, given that models used in high-income countries may not be appropriate for LMICs’ contexts.