Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42613812›Full record

ArticleHealth expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy2026

The Many Faces of Engagement: A Scoping Review of Paediatric Patient and Family Engagement in Clinical Care, Education and Research.

Brooke Allemang, Ida Dehmardan, Pranshu Maini, Francine Buchanan, Ivona Novak, Vanessa Carbone, Dalya Kablawi, Lin Li, Linda Nguyen, Kimberly Courtney and 6 more

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Brooke AllemangThe Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Ida DehmardanThe Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Pranshu MainiChild Health Evaluative Sciences, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Francine BuchananThe Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6579-2489
Ivona NovakThe Office of Engagement, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Vanessa CarboneThe Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Dalya KablawiThe Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Lin LiCentre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1822-4048
Linda NguyenFaculty of Social Work, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Kimberly CourtneyThe CHEO Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Jessie CunninghamThe Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Iveta LewisHolland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Carla P SouthwardHolland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Kristin CleverleyCentre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2822-2129
Sarah MunceInstitute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Alene ToulanyThe Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Funding

CIHR 520825
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEngagement of paediatric patients, families and caregivers in clinical care, health research and health education is increasingly recognised as essential to improving the quality, relevance and equity of health services. Despite growing interest in its application across clinical care, research and education domains, engagement practices remain poorly connected, inconsistently defined and unevenly implemented. A system-wide understanding of engagement is needed to clarify common principles, highlight gaps in practice and ensure that approaches are aligned across domains-conditions that are necessary for coherence and equity.

objectiveTo identify the commonalities and distinctions between paediatric patients and family engagement in clinical care, education and research contexts in paediatric healthcare institutions.

methodsFollowing PRISMA-ScR guidelines and the Joanna Briggs Institute framework, a scoping review was conducted across five databases and eleven grey literature sources. Eligible articles involved paediatric patients (0-24 years old), families or caregivers involved in engagement activities related to clinical care, research or education. Three youth and family partners contributed to all review stages, including protocol refinement, screening, extraction, interpretation and manuscript preparation.

resultsOf 16,817 records screened, 113 studies met inclusion criteria. Commonalities emerged across domains, including the predominance of small engagement groups, the frequent use of co-development and feedback roles for partners, and a shared tendency to operate at the Collaborate level of the International Association for Public Participation Spectrum. The application of equity, diversity and inclusion principles in engagement and the impacts of engagement were rarely described across domains. Notable distinctions identified included differences in terminology, evaluation practices and reporting of engagement. DISCUSSION AND

conclusionThis review identified commonalities and distinctions in how paediatric engagement is conceptualised and enacted across clinical care, research and education, including in partner responsibilities, engagement methods and outcomes. Inconsistent reporting, variable evaluation practices and imprecise terminology reduce comparability across contexts and limit the transferability of engagement practices across the domains of paediatric clinical care, research and education. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: This review was co-designed and performed in collaboration with three youth and family partners who actively participated across all phases of the research process from conceptualisation, study selection and screening to data analysis and interpretation, and manuscript preparation.

Indexed as

FamilyHealth EducationPatient ParticipationPediatricsAdolescentCaregiversChildChild, PreschoolHealth Services ResearchHumansInfantadvisory committeepaediatricspatient and family participationpatient and public involvementpatient engagementpatient‐oriented researchscoping review

Identifiers

PMID42613812
PMCPMC13486972

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.