Ab. No. 104 Navigating Pediatric Rehabilitation in Tertiary Care: Understanding Parental Challenges and Enhancing Multidisciplinary Approaches

Abstract

Introduction: This study investigates the intricate landscape of pediatric rehabilitation within an international tertiary healthcare context, shedding light on experiences of parents with children engaged in rehabilitation services. Most existing research on pediatric rehabilitation primarily focuses on barriers parents of specially-abled children face within home-to-hospital contexts. However, this study fills a crucial gap by exploring the challenges within tertiary care setups, specifically addressing communication barriers, bureaucratic hurdles, and service fragmentation. Methods: Participants were parents of disabled children who have used rehabilitation services in an international tertiary care facility for at least one year. The inclusion criteria pertain to individuals using services from three or more disciplines. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews with selected mothers were used in the study. Transcription in English ensured a complete understanding of the experiences. Following hermeneutic-phenomenological principles of naive reading, structural analysis, comprehensive reading, and critical reflection, responses were coded. Result: Hermeneutic-phenomenological analysis identified pervasive communication challenges, bureaucratic complexities, and service fragmentation as major themes. Empowered parents engaged in advocacy reported more positive experiences, emphasizing the pivotal role of parental empowerment. The discussion delves into the implications of the results, emphasizing the need for interventions to address communication barriers, streamline administrative processes, and foster multidisciplinary collaboration. It also highlights the significance of parental empowerment and advocates for a patient-centric approach to optimize pediatric rehabilitation. Conclusion: This study provides essential insights into the challenges parents face navigating pediatric rehabilitation in an international tertiary care setting. Addressing communication barriers, and bureaucratic complexities, and promoting parental empowerment are identified as pivotal for enhancing rehabilitation experiences. Implication: The study suggests ways to improve service integration and create a more patient-centric framework for paediatric rehabilitation in tertiary care settings for international healthcare systems. These implications are important for policymakers, healthcare providers, and researchers.