CPERL Publication Alert: Pragmatic trial to test PEM effectiveness for implementation in EI

Introduction

Current and past CPERL team members, Vera, Sabrin, Vivian, Carla, and Mary, along with colleagues from the University of Colorado, the University of Pittsburgh, and Rocky Mountain Human Services, have collaborated to publish a study titled "Electronic patient-reported outcome measure and decision support tool option for early intervention service quality: A pilot cluster-randomized pragmatic trial" in Advances in Rehabilitation Science and Practice (Special Issue). This special issue addresses the critical gap between evidence-based interventions and their equitable delivery in real-world rehabilitation contexts.

This study examines the preliminary effectiveness of implementing the Young Children’s Participation and Environment Measure (YC-PEM), a promising electronic patient-reported outcome (e-PRO) measure, paired with a shared decision support tool during early intervention (EI) service planning. In this trial, caregiver satisfaction was tracked through their ratings across 4 types of EI service quality indicators: family-centeredness, activation for shared decision-making, engagement in service design and implementation, and designing participation-focused service plans for most families. The findings suggested that this approach performed on par with an already high standard of usual care, and the implementation of YC-PEM was positively associated with families building more participation-focused service plans.

This publication points to a future with YC-PEM as a viable option for family-centered planning and supports the need for future phases of research across different EI programs and settings.