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Using the PODCI to Measure Motor Function and Parent Expectations in Children With Cerebral Palsy
Kimberley S Scott1, Gardenia O Barbosa1, Jeff Pan2
1School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Insights
Parental input via the Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI) offers valuable insights into motor function for children with cerebral palsy (CP). This study supports expanded PODCI use in young children with CP, correlating parent-reported function with therapist assessments.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rehabilitation
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Outcome Measurement
Background:
- Parental involvement in evaluating children with cerebral palsy (CP) is linked to improved neurodevelopmental outcomes.
- The Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI) is a patient-reported measure often used for assessing motor function, particularly after orthopedic surgery or in older, more independent children.
- The PODCI's expectations scale has been underutilized in prior research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between parent-reported motor performance using the PODCI and therapist-assessed motor capacity in young children (2-8 years) with CP across all Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels.
- To explore the utility of the PODCI expectations scale for quantifying parental expectations related to therapy outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cohort study involving 108 children with CP, aged 2 to 8 years, spanning GMFCS levels I to V.
- Data collection included the PODCI, the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM), and GMFCS level assignment.
Main Results:
- Moderate to large correlations (r=0.513 to 0.885) were observed between PODCI and GMFM scores.
- PODCI scores demonstrated significant differences across GMFCS levels.
- Weak but significant relationships (r=-0.28) were found between the PODCI function expectations scores and other measures of function.
Conclusions:
- The PODCI, GMFM, and GMFCS provide distinct yet strongly related information regarding the functional abilities of young children with CP.
- The PODCI effectively captures parent-reported daily function and quality of life, complementing therapist-assessed motor capacity (GMFM).
- Parental expectations for intervention outcomes may be associated with a child's motor function.
Objective:
Involving parents in the evaluation of their child with cerebral palsy (CP) is associated with enhanced neurodevelopmental outcomes. The pediatric outcomes data collection instrument (PODCI) is a patient-reported outcome measure primarily used to assess motor function following orthopedic surgical intervention or for older children with more independent motor function. The PODCI expectations scale has infrequently been reported in previous studies. This study aims to determine the relationship between parent-reported motor performance using the PODCI and motor capacity assessed by pediatric therapists for young children with CP across all ability levels and to explore the use of the PODCI expectations scale for quantifying therapy-related parent expectations.
Methods:
This prospective cohort study included 108 participants with CP, 2 to 8 years of age, gross motor function classification systems (GMFCS) levels I to V. Measures included the PODCI, gross motor function measure (GMFM), and GMFCS.
Results:
There were moderate (r = 0.513) to large (r = 0.885) relationships between PODCI and GMFM scores. PODCI scores were significantly different across GMFCS levels. Weak, significant relationships (r = -0.28) were found between function expectations scores and measures of function.
Conclusion:
The PODCI, GMFM, and GMFCS provide different, but strongly related, information about the abilities of young children. The GMFM measures motor capacity. Parents report daily function and health-related quality of life for their child using the PODCI. Parent expectations for intervention outcomes may relate to a child's motor function.
Impact:
These study results are consistent with those for older children with greater independent mobility, indicating an opportunity for expanded use of the PODCI for measuring motor performance for younger children with CP across all ability levels. A strategy is provided for using the PODCI expectations scale to quantify parent therapy-related expectations in future research and clinical settings. Therapy-related expectations may relate to child outcomes.
