Disrupted Access to Therapies and Impact on Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic for Children With Motor Impairment and Their Caregivers.

Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 8803677 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1537-7385 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 08949115 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Am J Phys Med Rehabil Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: Hagerstown, MD : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Original Publication: [Baltimore, MD] : Published by Williams & Wilkins for the Association of Academic Physiatrists, [c1988-

COVID-19*; Cerebral Palsy/*rehabilitation ; Health Services Accessibility/*statistics & numerical data ; Movement Disorders/*rehabilitation ; Quarantine/*psychology; Adolescent ; Adult ; Caregiver Burden/epidemiology ; Caregivers/psychology ; Cerebral Palsy/psychology ; Child ; Continuity of Patient Care/statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mobility Limitation ; Movement Disorders/psychology ; Qualitative Research ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Stress, Psychological/epidemiology ; Stress, Psychological/etiology ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to rehabilitation therapies and the impact of changes in therapy access on the physical and mental well-being of children with motor impairment and their caregivers.
Design: Caregivers of children younger than 18 yrs with childhood-onset motor impairment (primarily cerebral palsy) completed an anonymous survey through the online platform REDCap between May 5 and July 13, 2020.
Results: The survey was completed by 102 participants. Before the pandemic, 92 of 102 children (90%) were receiving one or more therapies; at the time surveyed, 55 children (54%) were receiving any therapies (P < 0.001). More than 40% of the sample reported increased child stress, decreased physical activity, and/or decline in mobility/movement. Participants who reported a decrease in number of therapies at the time surveyed more frequently reported lower satisfaction with treatment delivery (P < 0.001), a decline in child's mobility (P = 0.001), and increased caregiver stress (P = 0.004). Five qualitative themes were identified from open-ended question responses related to therapies and well-being.
Conclusions: Access to pediatric rehabilitation therapies was disrupted during COVID-19. Disrupted access may be related to impact on physical and mental health. With the expansion of telehealth, caregiver and child feedback should be incorporated to optimize benefit.
Competing Interests: Financial disclosure statements have been obtained, and no conflicts of interest have been reported by the authors or by any individuals in control of the content of this article.
(Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Comment in: Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2021 Nov 1;100(11):1033. (PMID: 34483261)

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T32 MH115886 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS

Date Created: 20210606 Date Completed: 20210830 Latest Revision: 20230922

20231215

PMC8366513

10.1097/PHM.0000000000001818

34091465