Date Presented 04/22/2023
There is a lack of assessments used in health care that measure the health management routines and well-being of caregivers of children with diabetes, and none exist specific to OT despite the growing number of children with Type 1 diabetes. Findings from this scoping review identified relevant diabetes assessments for OT practice and can inform practitioners of evidence-based materials to address health management for caregivers of children with diabetes.
Primary Author and Speaker: Sarah Fellman
Contributing Authors: Vanessa Jewell, Julia Shin, Emily Knezevich, Megan Eiberger, Marie O'Brien
PURPOSE: Approximately two hundred thousand American youth are currently living with type 1 diabetes; a number expected to increase to six hundred thousand by the year 2050 (JDRF, n.d.). This statistic suggests an equally considerable number of caretakers for these medically complex youth. Currently, there is a lack of assessments used in healthcare that measure the health management routines and well-being of caregivers of children with diabetes, and none exist specific to occupational therapy. Based on education in evidence-based practice and occupational science, occupational therapists have the expertise to create a relevant assessment targeting caregiver health for this population which will be completed as a result of this study. This study identified assessments used across healthcare disciplines that measure psychosocial adjustment, caregiver burden, and health management routines for informal caregivers of children with diabetes.
DESIGN: Researchers searched PubMed, CINAHL, and PsychInfo, in addition to performing a hand search.
METHOD: This was a scoping review following PRISMA guidelines. Following consultation with a librarian, researchers searched and appraised articles that included an assessment used to measure psychosocial adjustment, caregiver burden, and/or health management routines for caregivers of children with diabetes that were peer-reviewed, written in English, and published since 2012. A yes-no checklist was developed for inclusion and exclusion criteria. Two independent reviewers completed the abstract and title review with five reviewers completing full text review.
RESULTS: The initial search elicited 1,620 articles. After title and abstract screenings, eight articles received full-text review. Researchers then completed a hand search in well-known diabetes peer-reviewed journals to determine if other assessments met inclusion criteria, and 21 were identified.
CONCLUSION: Findings identified relevant diabetes assessments for occupational therapy practice and can inform practitioners of evidence-based materials to address health management for caregivers of children with diabetes. The results can further occupational therapy’s role in this emerging practice area and assist with improving the quality of healthcare outcomes for families of children with diabetes. JDRF. (n.d.). Type 1 diabetes facts. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from https://www.jdrf.org/t1d-resources/about/facts/.
References
American Diabetes Association. (2020). 13. Children and adolescents: Standards of medical care in diabetes-2021. Diabetes Care, 44(1), S180-S199. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc21-2013
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2020). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process (4th ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(Suppl. 2), 7412410010. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74S2001
Arksey, H. & O’Malley, L. (2005). Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(1), 19-32. https://doi.org/10.1080/1364557032000119616
