Virtual Hand-Arm Assessments for Children with Cerebral Palsy: Helping Us to Achieve Equity in Rehabilitation Care and Research
Summary
Our team is evaluating the feasibility of remote hand/arm assessments for children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) by comparing the results obtained in clinic with those obtained at home (i.e. assessments done with a therapist virtually).
Researcher(s)
Dr. Elaine Biddiss (PhD, MASc, PEng)
Study Principal Investigator
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Bloorview Research Institute
Dr. Virginia Wright (PhD)
Study Principal Investigator
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Bloorview Research Institute
Call to action
Does your child have Cerebral Palsy? Are in-person clinic appointments proving to be inconvenient to attend? Join our research study that aims to make virtual assessments a reality for families to access essential rehabilitation services from the comfort of their own home.
Who can participate
We are looking for kids who:
- Have a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy
- Are between 6 to 17 years old with sufficient cognitive capacity and cooperation to sit without a break for 30 minutes at a time
- Handles objects either (1) easily, possibly with some limitations OR (2) mostly, but with somewhat reduced ease OR (3) with difficulty (i.e. Levels I to III on the Manual Abilities Classification System)
- Have a caregiver willing to participate and can answer questions about preferences
- Have an appropriate device and internet access for video conferencing
- Have no visual limitations that would interfere with video conferencing
- Have no history of Botox or constraint therapy in the last 2 months, or upper extremity surgery in the last 6 months that impacts upper limb function
Note: Interpreters for participants not fluent in English and closed captioning for those with hearing loss are available.
Funding agency
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
What's involved
This study is 3 - 4 weeks long. Over the course of the study, your child will be involved in three hand/arm assessments with a qualified research occupational therapist on the study team. Two assessments will be done virtually (over Zoom video-conferencing) and one will be in-person at Holland Bloorview. Following each assessment, you and your child will complete online satisfaction surveys. Every week, we will also ask you to record your child performing a set of everyday challenging activities that they’d like improve on in the home. Additionally, participants will wear sensor wristbands to monitor hand-arm activity during daily routines to determine if it is a comfortable and acceptable tool for tracking progress in home-based therapies. You may also be asked to be interviewed by a member of the study team to talk about your experiences with the virtual assessments.
Deadline
Interested in participating
If you are interested in participating in this study or have additional questions, please contact Gloria Lee at glee@hollandbloorview.ca or (416) 425-6220 Ext. 3342. Please expect a reply from Gloria or a member of the research team within 2 business days. Contacting us does not obligate you or your child to participate in the study.
Additional information
Version 1 (05-Jun-2023) REB #4171
Virtual Hand-Arm assessments for Children with Cerebral Palsy: Helping Us to Achieve Equity in Rehabilitation Care and Research
