Abstract
Aim
To explore the experiences of health services among adults with cerebral palsy (CP) in Ireland, from the perspectives of adults with CP, their support people, and service providers.
Method
A qualitative descriptive study design was used. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted between March and August 2021 with adults with CP, people who supported them, and health professionals. Thematic analysis was used to evaluate the data.
Results
Twenty-one adults with CP, seven support people (family carer[s], spouse or partner, or friend), and 15 service providers participated in the study. Adults had a mean age of 38 years 5 months (range 22–58 years) and were classified in Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I to V. Five themes were identified from the data: (1) access challenges in adult services; (2) knowledge and understanding of CP; (3) support people's role and care burden; (4) communication and interaction in adult services; and (5) health system challenges.
Conclusion
Adults with CP in Ireland face multiple challenges accessing the health services they need. Services were reported to be inadequate, with limited resources and understanding of CP. Participants highlighted a need for system-level interventions, including enhanced training for health professionals to effectively meet the needs of adults with CP.
To explore the experiences of health services among adults with cerebral palsy (CP) in Ireland, from the perspectives of adults with CP, their support people, and service providers.
Method
A qualitative descriptive study design was used. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted between March and August 2021 with adults with CP, people who supported them, and health professionals. Thematic analysis was used to evaluate the data.
Results
Twenty-one adults with CP, seven support people (family carer[s], spouse or partner, or friend), and 15 service providers participated in the study. Adults had a mean age of 38 years 5 months (range 22–58 years) and were classified in Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I to V. Five themes were identified from the data: (1) access challenges in adult services; (2) knowledge and understanding of CP; (3) support people's role and care burden; (4) communication and interaction in adult services; and (5) health system challenges.
Conclusion
Adults with CP in Ireland face multiple challenges accessing the health services they need. Services were reported to be inadequate, with limited resources and understanding of CP. Participants highlighted a need for system-level interventions, including enhanced training for health professionals to effectively meet the needs of adults with CP.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology |
| Early online date | 19 Jul 2024 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Early online date - 19 Jul 2024 |
Access to Document
- Experiences of health services for adults with cerebral palsy, their support people, and service providers
Copyright 2024 The Authors. This is an open access Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits use, distribution and reproduction for non-commercial purposes, provided the author and source are cited.