Comprehensions of the rehabilitation process in cerebral palsy: erspectives of health professionals, caregivers and people with cerebral palsy

Abstract

Introduction: Cerebral Palsy as a health condition associated with disability in childhood requires comprehensive care and involves various actors, thus, rehabilitation is configured as a key health process in which knowledge and practices converge in daily life whose experience makes sense from the peculiarities. The objective was to analyze the comprehensions of the rehabilitation process in cerebral palsy from the perspectives of a group of health professionals, caregivers and people with cerebral palsy. Material and method: qualitative study, socio-constructionist design, focus groups were used. The sample was purposeful of homogeneous cases, the theoretical saturation of the data was used as a criterion for collecting information. The qualitative content analysis was streamlined through a categorization and coding process. Results: 3 people with cerebral palsy, 4 caregivers and 9 health professionals participated, relating their comprehensions about the phenomenon; the emerging categories were cerebral palsy as «Condition of life», functioning and disability from «Processes, tools and autonomy»; as well as contextual factors from «Barriers» and «Opportunities». Conclusions: although the comprehensions of the process are diverse and depend on life experiences, there are meeting points that configure the importance that both functionality and social inclusion acquire.