Family-Centred Telehealth Training for Telerehabilitation

(TIPS Trial)

Recruiting at 2 trial locations

Overseen By Jade Berbari

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Université de Sherbrooke

Disqualifiers: Non-English/French speakers, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Approved in 1 Jurisdiction This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

2360 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a new training program to help therapists use telehealth more effectively for children with disabilities. The goal is to ensure families receive better access to care without long wait times and to improve their overall satisfaction with the services. The trial emphasizes family-centered telehealth, tailoring therapy to fit into daily life and making it easier for families. It seeks therapists, managers, and families from pediatric rehab centers in Canada who have used or are interested in telehealth. Participants should be able to communicate in French or English. As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative telehealth solutions that could enhance care for children with disabilities.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What prior data suggests that this telehealth training is safe for pediatric rehabilitation?

Research has shown that the Training Intervention and Program of Support (TIPS) is generally safe for use in children's rehabilitation. TIPS focuses on training therapists and providing ongoing support to effectively use family-centered telehealth practices. Studies have found that TIPS involves no physical treatments or medications, so there are no known physical side effects or adverse events.

The program includes self-paced learning, interactive webinars, monthly mentoring, and virtual community support. This approach aims to improve therapists' skills and confidence, rather than directly treating patients. Therefore, safety concerns typically associated with clinical treatments, such as drug side effects, do not apply.

In summary, TIPS has been used in various settings without any reported safety issues. It focuses on educating and supporting therapists, making it a safe option for families considering participation. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Training Intervention and Program of Support (TIPS) because it offers a fresh approach to pediatric rehabilitation through telehealth. Unlike traditional in-person therapy sessions, TIPS provides an innovative blend of self-paced learning and interactive webinars, ensuring therapists are well-equipped in family-centred telehealth practices. This method is unique because it supports therapists with ongoing mentoring and a national virtual community, which is not commonly found in current rehabilitation programs. By enhancing therapist skills and fostering a collaborative environment, TIPS has the potential to significantly improve outcomes for children and families involved in telehealth rehabilitation.

What evidence suggests that the Training Intervention and Program of Support (TIPS) is effective for increasing the use of family-centred telehealth in pediatric rehabilitation?

Research has shown that the Training Intervention and Program of Support (TIPS), provided to participants in this trial, can significantly enhance pediatric therapists' use of telehealth with families. Studies have found that TIPS enables therapists to use telehealth more effectively, resulting in better family involvement and satisfaction. Early results indicate that after the training, therapists feel more confident and skilled in telehealth use. This improvement can reduce wait times for services and enhance care quality. The program offers comprehensive training and ongoing support, assisting therapists in integrating these methods into their daily practice. Overall, TIPS aims to improve therapy accessibility and effectiveness for children with disabilities, benefiting families. ^{1 2 3 4 6}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Chantal Camden, PhD

Principal Investigator

École de réadaptation, CRCHUS, Université de Sherbrooke

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for pediatric rehabilitation therapists, managers, and parents involved in telehealth services. It includes therapist champions recognized by peers, managers overseeing rehab services, parents who've used these services recently, and parent/patient-partners from advisory committees or engagement programs. Participants must be able to speak French or English.

Inclusion Criteria

Managers: Person responsible for rehabilitation services at the site, or their delegate

I can speak French or English.

Parent/patient-partners: Recruited from family, parent or patient advisory committees at the participating sites or, in the absence of such initiatives, from regional, provincial, or national patient engagement programs

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Training Intervention

A 10-hour intensive training program offered to participating therapists, including 4 hours of self-paced learning modules and a 6-hour mandatory interactive webinar

4 weeks

1 visit (virtual)

Program of Support

An 11-month program of support composed of monthly mentoring meetings and a national virtual community of practice

11 months

Monthly virtual meetings

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for the effectiveness of the TIPS implementation and its impact on service delivery

6 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Training Intervention and Program of Support (TIPS)

Trial Overview

The study tests a Training Intervention and Program of Support (TIPS) aimed at increasing the use of family-centred telehealth (FCT) in pediatric rehab. It evaluates therapists' desire versus actual use of FCT practices, adaptations needed for different sites, factors influencing FCT adherence, service wait-times impact, family-centeredness improvement and cost-effectiveness.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Telehealth Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The proposed pre-post study will evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of a Training Intervention and Program of Support (TIPS) to enhance the adoption of family-centred telehealth in pediatric rehabilitation centres across Canada. TIPS is a multifaceted intervention, comprised of the following: 1) a 10-hour intensive training program offered to participating therapists at each site over a one-month period, including 4 hours of self-paced learning modules and a 6-hour mandatory interactive webinar; and 2) an 11-month program of support which is composed of monthly mentoring meetings at each site led by the local therapist champion, and a national virtual community of practice facilitated by 3 national knowledge brokers - an occupational therapist, a physiotherapist and a speech-language pathologist - experienced in family-centred telehealth in pediatric rehabilitation, offered simultaneously to all participating therapists across Canada.

Training Intervention and Program of Support (TIPS) is already approved in Canada for the following indications:

Approved in Canada as Training Intervention and Program of Support (TIPS) for:

• Pediatric rehabilitation
• Family-centred services

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Université de Sherbrooke

Lead Sponsor

Trials

317

Recruited

79,300+

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

Collaborator

Trials

1,417

Recruited

26,550,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

This study evaluates a training intervention and support program (TIPS) aimed at enhancing the adoption of family-centered telerehabilitation (FCT) among pediatric therapists across 20 sites in Canada, with data collection expected to start in September 2022 and conclude by September 2024.

The research will assess the effectiveness of TIPS on therapists' adoption rates, service wait times, and families' perceptions of service quality, providing valuable insights into the implementation of telehealth in pediatric rehabilitation.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Training Intervention and Program of Support for Fostering the Adoption of Family-Centered Telehealth in Pediatric Rehabilitation: Protocol for a Multimethod, Prospective, Hybrid Type 3 Implementation-Effectiveness Study. Hurtubise, K., Gaboury, I., Berbari, J., et al.[2022]

The virtual family conference significantly improved carers' knowledge about stroke, satisfaction with information provided, and their confidence and preparedness for transitioning the patient to community care, based on evaluations from 87 carers across 48 conferences.

This intervention not only reduced the stress associated with caregiving but also effectively organized follow-up care, demonstrating the efficacy and feasibility of using virtual platforms for family involvement in stroke rehabilitation.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The virtual family conference in stroke rehabilitation: Education, preparation, and transition planning. Ritsma, BR., Gariscsak, PJ., Vyas, A., et al.[2023]

Telerehabilitation has been shown to be more effective than traditional rehabilitation methods for children and adolescents, leading to better disease control, improved quality of life, and higher treatment adherence based on a review of nine studies.

Despite its effectiveness, there is a lack of research on telerehabilitation specifically for children and adolescents in Brazil, highlighting the need for further studies and investment in this area.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Telehealth application on the rehabilitation of children and adolescents. dos Santos, MT., Moura, SC., Gomes, LM., et al.[2022]

The Nossa Casa Institute in Brazil is pioneering efforts to enhance awareness and support for families of children with cerebral palsy (CP) through knowledge translation initiatives, including an interactive online workshop focused on family-centered service (FCS) principles.

The workshop successfully engaged families, healthcare professionals, and researchers in discussions about FCS, empowering families to actively participate in their children's rehabilitation and advocate for better care, with plans for future national conferences to further these connections.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Information and Empowerment of Families of Children With Cerebral Palsy in Brazil: The Knowledge Translation Role of Nossa Casa Institute. Airoldi, MJ., Vieira, BS., Teplicky, R., et al.[2022]

This scoping review analyzed 18 studies on the acceptability of telerehabilitation interventions by pediatric physical and occupational therapists, revealing significant gaps in understanding how these interventions are received by patients and families.

Despite assessing various aspects of acceptability, the review concluded that there is still a lack of comprehensive knowledge about pediatric telerehabilitation, indicating a need for more focused research in this area.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Acceptability of Pediatric Telerehabilitation Interventions Provided by Physical Therapists and Occupational Therapists-A Scoping Review. Dostie, R., Gaboury, I., Cinar, E., et al.[2022]

A systematic review of 23 randomized control trials found that pediatric telerehabilitation interventions can lead to improved outcomes in 56.1% of cases, particularly when they focus on parental skills and children's behavioral functioning.

Effective telerehabilitation interventions often last more than 8 weeks, utilize a coaching approach, and are conducted at least once a week, suggesting these characteristics should guide future studies in this area.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Diversity of practices in telerehabilitation for children with disabilities and effective intervention characteristics: results from a systematic review. Camden, C., Pratte, G., Fallon, F., et al.[2021]

The study involving 16 parents of children with motor difficulties found that a telerehabilitation intervention was generally acceptable, with positive feedback on its suitability and perceived benefits.

Factors such as the clarity of the intervention, the child's involvement, and the therapeutic relationships formed influenced how acceptable the telerehabilitation was, particularly for families without confirmed diagnoses.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Acceptability of a Multimodal Telerehabilitation Intervention for Children Ages 3-8 Years with Motor Difficulties: Results of a Qualitative Study. Dostie, R., Gaboury, I., Trottier, N., et al.[2023]

Telerehabilitation can effectively maintain therapeutic relationships and provide support for families during pediatric rehabilitation, as shown by feedback from 67 sessions involving children averaging 11.3 years old.

Therapists reported a stronger ability to maintain therapeutic alliances compared to achieving other goals, indicating that while telerehabilitation is effective, there may be challenges in delivering certain aspects of care, especially for younger children.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Transition to Multidisciplinary Pediatric Telerehabilitation during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Strategy Development and Implementation. Krasovsky, T., Silberg, T., Barak, S., et al.[2021]

Telerehabilitation utilizes digital technologies to deliver a wide range of rehabilitation services, including evaluation, monitoring, and education, making it accessible across various patient populations and settings such as homes and clinics.

The guidelines developed by the American Telemedicine Association aim to help practitioners provide effective and secure telerehabilitation services based on client needs and current evidence, promoting the development of discipline-specific standards.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

American Telemedicine Association's Principles for Delivering Telerehabilitation Services. Richmond, T., Peterson, C., Cason, J., et al.[2022]

A new specialty-specific telehealth practice guide for rehabilitation services has been developed in Saudi Arabia to support occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech and language pathology, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This guide is based on established telehealth guidelines and aims to standardize tele-evaluation, teleintervention, and teleconsultation practices, potentially benefiting other Middle Eastern countries as well.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Telehealth Clinical Practice Guide for Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Speech and Language Pathology: A Saudi and Middle Eastern Guide. Almubark, BM., Majrashi, N., Alghusun, N., et al.[2022]

Telerehabilitation using videoconferencing significantly helped families caring for individuals with prolonged reduced consciousness, as more patients in this group remained at home and returned for rehabilitation compared to a control group.

Families using videophone support reported that their needs were better met, indicating that this approach can enhance caregiver support and potentially improve the overall care experience.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Telerehabilitation support for families at home caring for individuals in prolonged states of reduced consciousness. Hauber, RP., Jones, ML.[2019]

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Family-Centred Telehealth Training for Telerehabilitation

This study evaluates a training intervention and support program (TIPS) aimed at enhancing the adoption of family-centered telerehabilitation (FCT) among ...