PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH FOR THE PROMOTION OF FAMILY-CENTERED CARE IN RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES

Background: Participatory action research [PAR] is a relevant method in health professions. It is congruent with core principles of occupational therapy such as family-centered practice. The aim of this study was to develop,... [ view full abstract ]

Background:
Participatory action research [PAR] is a relevant method in health professions. It is congruent with core principles of occupational therapy such as family-centered practice. The aim of this study was to develop, implement and evaluate a practice model designed to increase family involvement, among learning disabled people [LDP] living in residential facilities.

Method: The study used PAR, including a combined qualitative and quantitative approach. Based on parents’ interview, a group of parents and service providers from a residential facility participated in developing and implementing a program for increasing family involvement. To evaluate the program, 46 families and 34 service providers from research and control facilities filled out the Measure of Processes of care [MPOC] and other questionnaires, before and after intervention.
Results: Data analysis after intervention showed that the program was partially successful in increasing family involvement. In the intervention group, parents' perceptions about their involvement in decision-making significantly improved. There was a tendency towards improvement in some measures, with differences between parents and service-providers.

Conclusions:
PAR enabled a unique process for focusing on family needs, and encouraging families to take an active part in improving their quality of life as a family and that of their LD children. Combined research methods allow data triangulation and contribute to research credibility and generalization, thus promote EBP and translational research in occupational therapy.

Application to Practice:
This study can help occupational therapist and service providers develop family-centered interventions that are designed and implemented together with the parents.