Medicine
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This repository contains the published and unpublished research of the Faculty of Medicine by the staff members of the faculty
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Item Efficacy of a low-cost multidisciplinary team-led experiential workshop for public health midwives on dysphagia management for children with cerebral palsy(VU e-Publishing, Netherlands, 2018) Hettiarachchi, S.; Kitnasamy, G.; Mahendran, R.; Nizar, F. S.; Bandara, C.; Gowritharan, P.PURPOSE: Over the past decade there has been a growing focus on offering appropriate training to healthcare professionals and caregivers to support safe feeding practices for children with cerebral palsy. Early and consistent multidisciplinary intervention is required to minimise the risks of aspiration pneumonia. The high incidence of complications from aspiration pneumonia among children with cerebral palsy in Sri Lanka has made it necessary to conduct low-cost multidisciplinary team-led dysphagia awareness workshops for healthcare professionals and caregivers.METHOD: A group of 38 Public Health Midwives (PHMs) was offered an experiential workshop by a small multidisciplinary team (MDT). To determine changes in knowledge, a self-administered questionnaire that included a video-based client scenario was administered pre- and post-workshop. The data were analysed statistically using non-parametric within-participant t-tests.RESULTS: The post-workshop responses to the questionnaire indicated a significant increase in the level of knowledge. This included positive changes in the understanding and knowledge of cerebral palsy (t (37) =-7.44, p=.000), effects of cerebral palsy on eating and drinking skills (t (37) =-3.91, p=.000), positioning (t (37) = -9.85, p=.000), aspiration (t (37) =-3.46, p=.001), food categorisation (t (37), -3.85, p=.000) and client video observation (t (37)-3.91, p=.000) at a p=.05 level of significance. While there was also an increase in the knowledge on general guidelines during mealtimes, this did not reach statistical significance.CONCLUSION: The low-cost MDT-led experiential workshop was effective in increasing knowledge of feeding and dysphagia-related issues in cerebral palsy among a group of PHMs. This workshop could serve as a model for training PHMs and Community-Health Workers across the country in order to reach the Sustainable Development Goal of ‘good health and well-being’ for children with cerebral palsy and all children experiencing feeding difficulties. Follow-up workshops and continued professional development courses for midwives on dysphagia care are strongly recommended, in addition to collaborative clinical practiceItem "Now I am a techie too" - parental perceptions of using mobile technology for communication by children with complex communication needs in the global south.(Informa Healthcare, 2020) Hettiarachchi, S.; Kitnasamy, G.; Gopi, D.PURPOSE:Parental perceptions are key to the uptake of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices for their children with complex communication needs. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of parents in a resource poor Global South country on the use of mobile technology as AAC devices. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Sixteen participants (11 female; 5 male) were included in the study. Focus group discussions, face-to-face interviews and telephone interviews were conducted with the aid of an interview guide. The interview data were analysed using the key principles of Framework analysis and through the lens of critical disability studies. RESULTS: Six broad themes emerged. Most participants indicated a penchant for mobile technology, though its current use with their children was mainly as a teaching tool rather than a communication device. Concerns were raised about the cost of mobile technology, which if used within communication, was only as a temporary stop-gap measure with limited knowledge. The power of mainstream technology to challenge prevalent notions of disability was also highlighted by the participants. CONCLUSIONS: There is an openness to using mainstream mobile technology by parents with their children with complex communication needs. This use is currently reserved mainly for educational purposes while its power to challenge disability-related stereotypes is acknowledged. More parent training is required to encourage the use of mobile technology as AAC devices for communication. Implications for rehabilitation Current parent perspectives on mobile technology as AAC devices must be explored, given its potential impact on the uptake of these devices to support communication in their children with complex communication needs. Mainstream mobile technology could challenge perceptions of disability and therefore, be more acceptable to parents for their children with complex communication needs. Parental training is required to increase knowledge on the use of mobile technology as AAC devices for communication to enable informed choice-making.