Early Impact of a Co-Designed Playgroup for Children With Medical Complexity: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Child Development
• Recreational Therapy

Background:

• Play is essential for child development and quality-of-life.
• Recreational programming is scarce for children with medical complexity (CMC).
• Parental involvement is key in designing effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To co-design and evaluate a novel 6-week playgroup for CMC.
• To assess the impact of the playgroup on CMC's quality-of-life functioning.
• To explore parental experiences and perceived benefits of the program.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative data.
• Pre-post administration of the Pediatric Quality-of-Life Inventory.
• Semi-structured interviews with parents of participating CMC.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements in overall quality-of-life functioning (27.4%) and psychosocial functioning (31.7%).
• Parents reported enhanced child temperament, sleep, and happiness.
• Parents experienced valuable respite and support through the program.

Conclusions:

• Co-designed, person-centered playgroups can effectively address health and social care gaps for CMC.
• The program demonstrated positive impacts on children's well-being and parental support.
• Increased investment in social programming for CMC is crucial for their development and quality-of-life.