How can qualitative research contribute to the expanding knowledge base in pediatric physical therapy?

Abstract

Objective: To explore how qualitative research has provided information that deepens our understanding of the perspectives of children with disabilities and their families, the relevance of this information to pediatric physical therapy clinical practice and research and how qualitative methods could be used to further contribute to the expanding knowledge base in pediatric rehabilitation.

Major finding: Qualitative research has contributed to our understanding of the values and beliefs of children with disabilities and their families that shape their perspectives on conceptualization of disability and their experiences with intervention strategies. While qualitative research has been used to explore the contributors of quality of life of children with disabilities, more research is needed from the perspectives of children and families.

Conclusions: Potential contributions to the field of pediatric rehabilitation are explored including the addition of qualitative components into clinical trials of interventions and qualitative studies to determine the outcomes of pediatric physical therapy interventions that are meaningful to children and families.

Keywords:

• Qualitative research
• Pediatrics
• Children with disabilities
• Families