Experiences of four parents with physical therapy and early mobility of their children in a pediatric critical care unit: A case series.
The aim of this study was to conduct a preliminary investigation into parents' experiences of physical therapy and early mobility (EM) for their children in a pediatric critical care unit (PCCU).



We conducted a series of four qualitative case studies using in-depth semi-structured face-to-face interviews. We recruited parents of children who had undergone surgery and received at least one EM physical therapy intervention while intubated. We conducted a thematic analysis of transcribed interviews to illuminate the factors that influenced EM experiences.



Four parents participated in the study. We developed an overview of Parental Experiences with Physical Therapy and Early Mobility in a PCCU, which includes four themes that parents believed influenced their experiences: (1) environmental factors; (2) awareness of physical therapist and health care professional (HCP) roles; (3) communication among parents and HCPs; and (4) parental participation in their child's EM, within the overarching parental experiences in the PCCU.



This study affords a preliminary understanding of parents' experiences with physical therapy and EM in a PCCU setting. Results provide an important foundation for future research on mobility in the context of pediatric critical care research and practice.
Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Rachel B
RB
Parisien
Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Kirstie
K
Gillanders
Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Erin K
EK
Hennessy
Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Lisa
L
Herterich
Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Kendra
K
Saunders
Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Jamil
J
Lati
Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Stephanie
S
Dos Santos
Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Alison
A
Hassall
Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.|Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.|Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Kelly K
KK
O'Brien
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D004434:Early Ambulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research
Pediatric; children; early mobility; intensive care; parent; rehabilitation