Date Presented 04/04/19
Effective training is essential for minimizing the gap between family-centered care (FCC) theory and practice. In this presentation we will describe the outcomes of FCC professional training in terms of knowledge, skill, and confidence. The training demonstrated significant increases in participants’ FCC. Experiential learning and reflective assignments were identified as key elements that promoted the enhancement of skill and confidence in FCC practices.
Primary Author and Speaker: Liat Gafni Lachter
Contributing Authors: Naomi Josman, Ayelet Ben Sasson
PURPOSE: Family-Centered care (FCC) is widely recommended as best practice in pediatric service settings, yet it is often insufficiently implemented (Almasri, An, & Palisano, 2017; American Academy of Pediatrics, 2012). The goal of this study was to measure the effectiveness of a training program to enhance practitioners’ implementation of FCC practices.
DESIGN: 50 occupational therapy practitioners participated in a 30-hour continuing-education training aimed to enhance FCC. The training topics included: 1. FCC principles and evidence; 2. Effective ongoing communication with families, 3. FCC assessments and processes; 4. Cultural sensitivity; 5. Promoting FCC provision in the workplace. The instructional approach was based on adult learning theory principles and included experiential learning and reflective exercise to enhance implementation in practice. The effectiveness of the training was evaluated using a mixed-method program evaluation approach (Newcomer, Hatry & Wholey, 2015), including pre-post measurement of implementation of, and confidence in FCC practices.
METHOD: The Measure of Processes Of Care, service provider form (MPOC-SP; Woodside, Rosenbaum, King, & King, 1998) was used to measure the extent to which services provided by participants are family-centered. A confidence questionnaire was developed for the study to measure self-efficacy on the same FCC behaviors. Changes following the training were tested using repeated MANOVA. Qualitative information was derived from participants reflective assignments and feedback survey.
FINDINGS: A repeated measures MANOVA identified significant changes in pre–post MPOC-SP and confidence scores with a large effect size (F(1,7) = 13.54, p <0.00, η2 = 0.89). Univariate tests indicated significant changes in scores of two of the four MPOC-SP scales and on all confidence scales. Changes in FCC application were significantly and positively correlated with confidence scores. Qualitative analysis revealed that participants attributed experiential learning and reflection opportunities as key learning tools for promoting their self-efficacy and confidence needed for implementing the acquired knowledge and skills.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that carefully designed evidence-based training programs can advance the translation of FCC theoretical principles into practical application. Experiential learning and reflective opportunities are particularly effective for fostering confidence and implementation of learning. The findings provide important evidence which informs best practices in professional training within occupational therapy. It is recommended that future studies evaluate the generalization of these concepts into other practice settings.
References
Almasri, N. A., An, M., & Palisano, R. J. (2017). Parents’ Perception of Receiving Family-Centered Care for Their Children with Physical Disabilities: A Meta-Analysis. Physical & Occupational Therapy In Pediatrics, 1–17. doi.org/10.1080/01942638.2017.1337664
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2012). Patient- and family-centered care and the pediatrician’s role. Pediatrics, 129(2), 394–404. doi:10.1542/peds.2011-3084
Newcomer, K. E., Hatry, H. P., & Wholey, J. S. (2015). Handbook of Practical Program Evaluations. San Fransisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.
Woodside, J., Rosenbaum, P., King, S., & King, G. (1998). Measure of processes of care for service providers (MPOC-SP). CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research, McMaster University. doi:10.1207/S15326888CHC3003_5
