ArticleBMJ paediatrics open2025
Exploring parental perspectives of physiotherapy in children with congenital heart disease: a qualitative study.
Article in BMJ paediatrics open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundChildren with congenital heart disease demonstrate developmental and functional impairment throughout their life. Published literature is limited but suggests postsurgical physiotherapy positively impacts developmental and functional outcomes in these children. We aimed to understand parental opinions of their child's development or function, their experiences of physiotherapy services, how they feel physiotherapy could be used to support their child and what impacted access to services.
methodsA qualitative study using semistructured online interviews was conducted among parents of children with a diagnosis of congenital heart disease under the age of 16 years, who had undergone cardiac surgery in the UK. Data were collected between July and December 2024. The data were explored using reflexive thematic analysis and the study was reported in accordance with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist.
results12 semistructured interviews were completed involving 12 mothers and 1 father. Themes identified were parental priorities; understanding and experience of physiotherapy; access to physiotherapy and ideal physiotherapy service. Parental expectations of their child's development were influenced by antenatal care and postnatal experiences. Parents continually evaluate the need for their child to access developmental and functional support. Engagement with physiotherapy is influenced by parental understanding, quality of service provision, impact of interventions on their child and the practical and emotional consequences to their family. Parents want physiotherapy services to deliver parental education and individualised support throughout their child's life, particularly around key life events.
conclusionsParental engagement with physiotherapy services is influenced by parental expectations of their child's development and function, and their understanding of the potential benefits of physiotherapy. Physiotherapists should prioritise promoting and increasing awareness of physiotherapists' role in children with congenital heart disease, alongside parental education and individualised care, to facilitate engagement.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.