Understanding the factors that influence the quality of paid disability support for adults with acquired neurological disability and complex needs: a scoping review protocol

Adults with disability as the result of an acquired neurological disorder often have varying and complex support needs. Consequently, adults with complex needs often require paid support to enable them to exercise choice and control and participate fully and effectively in society. Given support is so critical for this population, this scoping review aims to further understand the factors that influence the quality of paid disability support for adults with acquired neurological disability and complex needs.

The methodology proposed by Arksey and O'Malley, with the modifications recommended by Levac and O'Brien and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis: extension for Scoping Reviews will be used. Systematic and comprehensive electronic database searches will be conducted in MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus and Embase. The review will follow a six-stage framework including (1) identifying the research question/s, (2) identifying the relevant studies, with (3) study selection and (4) charting of data by two independent coders, (5) collating, summarising and reporting data and (6) expert consultation which will be sought from people with lived experience, as well as clinical and academic experts. Work on this scoping review began in June 2019 and will be completed by June 2020.

Ethical approval will not be required to conduct the scoping review. However, the consultation with people with lived experience will be conducted via codesign workshops. The codesign workshops have received ethical approval from La Trobe University Ethics Committee (reference number: HEC19232). It is intended that review findings will be made available to relevant stakeholders through a peer-reviewed publication, conference presentations and workshops.