Pain and communication in children with cerebral palsy: Influence on parents' perception of family impact and healthcare satisfaction.

Abstract

[eng] Cerebral palsy (CP) is an impacting chronic condition. Concomitant comorbidities such as</em></p><p><em>pain and speech inability may further affect parents’ perception of the pathology impact in the family</em></p><p><em>quality of life and the provided care. The objective of this cross-sectional descriptive correlational</em></p><p><em>study was to compare parental reports on family impact and healthcare satisfaction in children with</em></p><p><em>CP with and without chronic pain and with and without speech ability. Parents of 59 children with CP</em></p><p><em>(age range = 4–18 years) completed several questions about pain and speech ability and two modules</em></p><p><em>of the Pediatric Quality of Life Measurement Model: The PedsQLTM 2.0 Family Impact Module and</em></p><p><em>the PedsQLTM Healthcare Satisfaction Generic Module. Our findings revealed that children’s pain</em></p><p><em>slightly impacted family physical health, social health and worry. In children without pain, speech</em></p><p><em>inability increased the perceived health impact. Parents’ healthcare satisfaction was barely affected</em></p><p><em>by pain or speech inability, both increasing parents’ satisfaction in the professional technical skills and</em></p><p><em>inclusion of family domains on the care plan. In conclusion, pain and speech inability in children with</em></p><p><em>CP can impact family health but not healthcare satisfaction. Regular assessment and intervention in</em></p><p><em>family health is essential for the design of family-centred programs for children with CP.</em></p>