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Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Child-oriented Goal-setting in Paediatric Rehabilitation (the ENGAGE Approach)

NCT05017363 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 96

Last updated 2025-09-18

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Children with disabilities often access rehabilitation services to improve their abilities to participate in everyday activities. Goal-directed therapy is considered an important therapeutic strategy to achieve outcomes that are meaningful to families. Not a lot is known about the effects of goal setting on rehabilitation outcomes. Strategies to help children participate in the goal-setting process are rarely used in clinical practice. The aim of this project is to test the effects of a child-focussed goal-setting approach, Enhancing Child Engagement in Goal Setting (ENGAGE), on therapy outcomes. The investigators are also interested in service use and the cost vs. benefits of the ENGAGE approach compared to usual practice. Children with neurodevelopmental disabilities aged 5-12 years old (n=96) who access paediatric rehabilitation services at six rehabilitation sites will participate. Therapists (n=24) at participating sites will be randomized into 1) the ENGAGE intervention group or 2) the usual therapy practice control group. Children will participate in the ENGAGE approach to goal setting or usual practice based on the allocation of their therapist. The investigators will determine if the ENGAGE approach to goal setting affects child goal performance, satisfaction with goal performance, functional abilities, participation, and parent and child quality of life. The investigators will also evaluate differences in parent and child quality of life in relation to parent costs (e.g., absenteeism, presenteeism, travel costs) and compare amount of therapy time between the two groups to see which approach is more cost-effective and efficient. The investigators will also ask children, parents, therapists, and managers to discuss aspects that influenced effective implementation of the ENGAGE approach. This study could provide evidence to improve meaningful child and family outcomes in paediatric rehabilitation and improve the efficiency of paediatric rehabilitation services.

Conditions

  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Interventions

PROCEDURE

ENGAGE

Goal-setting approach and strategies including the Perceived Efficacy and Goal Setting Tool (PEGS), which is established goal setting tools for children aged 5-9. Administration of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), the most widely used goal-setting tool in paediatric rehabilitation that has been used with children as young as seven years. Introducing simple strategies to assist children in identifying goals and to ensure ongoing focus on goals using principles of motivational interviewing, strategies to assess and nurture perceived competence (self-efficacy), and child-friendly feedback strategies on goal-related performance.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Alberta Health services

    collaborator OTHER

  • University of Alberta

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Lesley Pritchard, PhD · University of Alberta

  • Sandra Hodgetts, PhD · University of Alberta

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
5 Years
Max Age
12 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2021-09-01
Primary Completion
2026-05-31
Completion
2026-05-31

Countries

  • Canada

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT05017363 on ClinicalTrials.gov