Cerebral palsy (CP) is the leading cause of child-onset physical disability worldwide. Children with CP frequently experience secondary musculoskeletal complications such as hip dislocation, which result in pain, reduced function and reduced quality of life. There is consistent evidence internationally that population-based surveillance programmes, involving regular physiotherapy-led assessments and x-rays, reduce the incidence of musculoskeletal complications. Despite this, there is no uniformly implemented surveillance programme for children with CP on the island of Ireland. Further, there is no consistent approach to supporting health professionals to implement such a programme. Understanding the local context and needs of all stakeholders is essential to develop implementation strategies that reduce the gap between evidence and clinical practice.
Objectives are to:
describe implementation of regional surveillance programmes on the island of Ireland including the profile of children and outcomes
explore barriers and facilitators to implementing surveillance programmes
explore acceptability of participating in a surveillance programme from the perspective of families and children with CP
develop implementation strategies to promote uniform implementation of a surveillance programme for children with CP on the island of Ireland
We will use a convergent parallel mixed-methods design to address the objectives across four work packages. We will describe implementation of regional surveillance programmes using routinely collected data. We will interview health professionals across five regions in Ireland and the United Kingdom to understand barriers and facilitators to implementation. We will interview parents and children with CP who participated in surveillance programmes. We will use Implementation Mapping to guide development of implementation strategies based on our findings.
By facilitating implementation of a uniform evidence-based approach to early detection and prevention of secondary musculoskeletal complications among children with CP on the island of Ireland, this project will improve equity of access to care and outcomes for children with CP.