Evidence-based early rehabilitation for children with cerebral palsy: co-development of a multifaceted knowledge translation strategy for rehabilitation professionals.

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common childhood physical disability. Early and evidence-based rehabilitation is essential for improving functional outcomes in children with CP. However, rehabilitation professionals face barriers to adopting evidence-based practices (EBP)s. The objective of this project is to develop a knowledge translation (KT) strategy to support CP-EBP among pediatric rehabilitation professionals. Methods: We follow an integrated KT approach by collaborating with clinician- and patient-partners. Partners engaged in co-design through team meetings and content review via email. The KT strategy comprises two components: (1) An electronic (e)-KT toolkit was created from summarized evidence extracted from randomized clinical trials on early rehabilitation for children with CP, and (2) a multifaceted online KT training program developed with guidance from a scoping review exploring effective KT strategies. Results: The e-KT toolkit summarizes twenty-two early interventions for children with or at risk for CP aged 0-5 years. Each module features an introduction, resources, parent/family section, and clinician information, including outcomes, intervention effectiveness, and evidence level. The KT training program includes three 10-15 min video-based training modules, text summaries, quizzes, and case studies. Site champions, identified as qualified rehabilitation professionals, were onboarded to support the site implementation of the training program. A champion-training booklet and 1-hour session were designed to equip them with the necessary knowledge/resources. Conclusion: The tailored, multifaceted, and co-designed KT strategy aims to be implemented in pediatric rehabilitation sites to support professional's uptake of CP-EBPs. Lessons learned from its development, including the co-development process and multifaceted nature, hold potential for broader applications in rehabilitation.

The clinical reasoning that guides therapists in interpreting errors in real-world performance.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to examine the reasoning used by clinicians when deciding whether errors observed during the performance of everyday activities were made by clients with acquired brain injury (ABI) or by healthy controls. METHODS: Ninety clinicians observed 27 short video clips of subjects (ABI, healthy controls), carrying out the Baycrest Multiple Errands Test. On the basis of their observations, they classified subjects into either an ABI or healthy control group and specified their reasons. Their reasoning was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: The majority of the coded material explaining the reasoning behind correct attributions of performance errors to people with ABI related to 3 general themes: (1) inefficient executive functioning, (2) task-related difficulty, and (3) prediction of impact on independence in everyday activities. Clinicians were most successful at identifying neurological subjects when subjects either omitted tasks or took an excessive amount of time to complete the test. CONCLUSIONS: Correctly interpreting performance errors in real-world tests relies on clinicians' observational and clinical reasoning skills combined with their theoretical knowledge of constructs underlying the evaluation. Some clinical signs bear more weight than others when clinicians interpret performance errors to determine whether the behavior is pathological.