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The effect of a home visit on parental compliance with a home program
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A single home visit did not significantly improve parental compliance with physical therapy for children with motor delays. However, compliance was higher for children with severe delays, and home visits showed greater developmental improvement.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Physical Therapy
Background:
- Children with delayed motor development often require specialized physical therapy programs.
- Parental compliance is crucial for the success of home-based physical therapy regimens.
- The impact of home visits on parental adherence and child outcomes in this population is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether one home visit improves parental compliance with physical therapy for infants experiencing delayed motor development.
- To assess the effect of a home visit on the motor development of these children.
Main Methods:
- Eighteen mothers and infants with delayed motor development were randomized into two groups.
- One group received a single home visit; the other did not.
- Parental compliance and child motor development were assessed after one month.
Main Results:
- Mothers receiving a home visit showed a trend towards higher compliance, but the difference was not statistically significant.
- Parental compliance was significantly higher for children with severely delayed motor development compared to those with moderate delays (p < .01).
- Children whose parents received a home visit demonstrated greater improvements in developmental level.
Conclusions:
- A single home visit may not be sufficient to significantly enhance parental compliance in physical therapy for all children with motor delays.
- Home visits may be particularly beneficial for families of children with more severe developmental delays.
- Further research with larger sample sizes and refined methodologies is needed to confirm these findings and draw definitive conclusions.
Abstract:
This study was designed to test the hypothesis that one home visit would improve parental compliance to a physical therapy program prescribed for children with delayed motor development. Eighteen mothers and their infants were randomly assigned to two groups, only one of which received the home visit. After one month of following the regimen at home, the parents were evaluated for the degree to which they complied with the prescribed physical therapy program. The motor development of their child was also reassessed. Although mothers who received a home visit showed a higher rate of compliance, the difference was not significant. However, mothers of children with severely delayed motor development demonstrated a significantly higher rate of compliance than did mothers of moderately delayed children (p < .01). The improvement in the developmental level of the children whose parents had received a home visit was demonstrated to be greater. The small number of subjects and several limitations in experimental design preclude drawing any definitive conclusions.