Affiliations: Department of Health and Welfare, Arcada, University
of Applied Sciences, Helsinki, Finland | Department of Research, The Social Insurance
Institution, Helsinki, Finland | Department of Women's and Children's Health,
Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Note: [] Corresponding author: Ira Jeglinsky, Department of Health and
Welfare, Arcada, University of Applied Sciences, Jan-Magnus Janssonin aukio 1,
00550 Helsinki, Finland. Tel.: +358 2076 99434; E-mail: ira.jeglinsky@arcada.fi
Abstract: Objective: To explore the types of procedures and practices in
rehabilitation planning for children with cerebral palsy and how
multidisciplinary team members experience them. Design, subjects, and setting: A qualitative research approach was used. Participants were members
of multidisciplinary teams in neuropediatric wards at five university
hospitals. Methods: In order to explore the rehabilitation planning
procedure within multidisciplinary teams, focus group interviews were
conducted. The interviews were tape recorded and transcribed. Three content
areas guided the interviews: goal setting, the different transition phases, and
the use of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and
Health, Child and Youth version (ICF-CY). Qualitative content analysis was used
to analyze the results. Results: Three themes arose from the focus group
discussions; challenging goal setting, transition without routines, and ICF-CY
not in use. A family-centered service model had been adopted, but there was no
clear procedure in the collaboration with parents. Goal setting was found to be
challenging and the concern arose of how to integrate goals into the child's
everyday life. There was a lack of systematic planning of the different
transition phases. There was also a general variation in the rehabilitation
planning procedures due to local and regional differences in practice. The
ICF-CY was familiar, but not in formal use in clinical practice. Conclusion: There is a need to enhance the procedures and to systematize
coordination of services in the rehabilitation process. The ICF-CY framework
might help to optimize collaborative goal setting and to structure both
procedures and documentation of the rehabilitation plans and goals.
