Priorities for research

QUESTIONS IDENTIFIED BY:

Consumers

Intervention researchers and clinicians

Aetiology and prevention researchers

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High priority questions for consumers

Consumers ranked preventing CP as their highest priority for research and were the only group to identify exploring the therapeutic impact of stem cells. Pain is an important focus for consumers, so too is the effectiveness of individual interventions including alternative therapies, physiotherapy and parent education.

 

 

Prevention/Cure

• How can CP be prevented?
• What are the causes of and casual pathways to CP?
• What potential does the brain have to repair injury?
• Can stem cells have a therapeutic effect for CP?

Quality of Life/Community participation

• What policies are needed to improve quality of life for families caring for Australians with severe disabilities?
• What factors have the greatest impact on improving the lifestyle and quality of life of individuals with CP?
• What are the barriers to employment that exist for people with CP?
• How can people with CP be better trained with the necessary skills to enter the workforce?
• What is the relationship between CP and poverty?
• Can people with CP equitably access the community?

Service provision/Intervention

Service models

• What can be done to address the mismatch between what service parents and people with CP need and what they actually receive?
• What is the optimal intensity of therapy programs?
• What is the most efficient service model so that maximal services reach people with CP and their families?

Effectiveness and Outcomes

• What are the optimal treatments for CP?
• What are the long term outcomes of treatment?
• What is the effectiveness of alternative therapies for the treatment of CP?
• What early intervention (dependent on CP type) will prevent and minimise structural impairments?
• Does physiotherapy benefit people with CP?
• What are the most effective methods of pain managementso the secondary complications can be reduced?
• What is the effectiveness of hydrotherapy with CP?

Role of families in intervention

• What are the most effective methods of educating parents to help improve their child’s independence and function?
• What is the impact of therapy type and duration on parents of a child with CP?
• Is hands-on treatment by therapists a more effective method than guided therapy by parents?

 

High priority questions for Intervention researchers and clinicians

High priority questions for Aetiology and prevention researchers identified questions