Utilization of Evidence-Based Treatment Outcome Measures in the Rehabilitation of Hemiparetic Cerebral Palsy among Physiotherapists at the Kenyatta National Hospital

Abstract

Cerebral palsy is the leading cause of motor disability in children. Global incidence of cerebral palsy stands at 2 to 3 per every 1,000 births. In Kenya, World Health Organization estimates that 1 in every 300 children has Cerebral palsy, this suggesting that over 60,000 children in Kenya have cerebral palsy. The high prevalence has been attributed to mostly brain damage in newborns and infants. The impact of Hemiparetic cerebral palsy is felt not only on the individual but also the caretakers and society as a whole, making physiotherapy fundamental to the lives of persons living with cerebral palsy.  Evidence-based physiotherapy practice involves a number of components that follows a step by step process and thus has been argued to be the most ethical approach to treatments in a variety of medical professionals. Measurement of outcomes in physiotherapy rehabilitation is needed to determine whether the rehabilitation methods performed are useful to the patients. Yet, there is no research that has been done to determine whether evidence-based treatment outcome measures are used as part of the rehabilitation process in Kenya, particularly in Hemiparetic cerebral palsy. The main objective of the study was to determine the utilization of evidence-based treatment outcome measures in the rehabilitation of hemiparetic cerebral palsy among physiotherapists at the Kenyatta National Hospital. The study design was descriptive cross-sectional study. It was conducted at the Kenyatta National Hospital which is the largest referral and teaching hospital. The study used semi-structured questionnaire design that included both closed-ended and a few open-ended questions. The time frame that is expected to facilitate the process of the proposal development and data collection up to the final thesis defense and dissemination is 10 months; from May 2016 to February 2017.The study was inclusive of physiotherapists working at the Kenyatta National Hospital in both the out-patient and in-patient departments who will have been sampled and passed the inclusion criteria. The data was analyzed using STATA software. The study found out that level of education and utilization of evidence based treatment are positively and significant related (r=2.759, p=0.016). The table further indicates that CPD participation and utilization of evidence based treatment are positively and significant related (r=7.887, p=0.021). It was further established that Availability of information resources and utilization of evidence based treatment are positively and significantly related (r=5.428, p=0.007). The study recommends for Physiotherapy Council of Kenya and Ministry of Health, institutions of higher learning to emphasize on trainings of physiotherapists since training has a positive effect.  Thus will lead to improved efficacy and effectiveness of the rehabilitation, increasing patient satisfaction and an eventual increase in quality of life for the patients undergoing rehabilitation.

Keywords: Knowledge, Clinical practices, Evidence-based treatment outcome measures, Hemiparetic cerebral palsy, Physiotherapists