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Family-centred service: moving ideas into practice
1CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. lawm@mcmaster.ca
Child: Care, Health and Development
|October 7, 2005
Summary
Educational materials on family-centred service (FCS) were highly rated by parents, service providers, and students. The materials were effective regardless of participant familiarity, suggesting a universal design approach is beneficial for knowledge transfer in pediatric healthcare.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Healthcare
- Rehabilitation Science
- Knowledge Translation
Background:
- Family-centred service (FCS) is increasingly integral to children's health and rehabilitation.
- Parental involvement in daily care necessitates effective FCS implementation strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate educational materials on the nature, philosophy, and implementation of FCS.
- To assess the effectiveness of these materials for diverse stakeholders including families, service providers, and students.
Main Methods:
- Developed six distinct FCS educational packages, each comprising three FCS educational sheets.
- Randomly assigned 36 participants (12 families, 12 service providers, 12 students) to receive one package.
- Collected participant ratings on format, content, and impact using a 7-point scale and analyzed using mixed-model analysis.
Main Results:
- Participants rated the FCS educational sheets highly for format, content, and impact (overall means >5.0).
- Students reported lower familiarity with the materials compared to service providers.
- No significant differences in ratings of format, content, or impact were found between groups or packages after adjusting for familiarity.
Conclusions:
- FCS educational materials were perceived as important, easy to understand, and highly rated across all participant groups.
- The study's findings challenge the notion that different knowledge transfer materials are needed for distinct target audiences.
- A universal design for FCS educational materials appears effective for diverse stakeholders in pediatric healthcare settings.