cpThrive: A Story of Development

Abstract

Cerebral palsy is the most common physical disability and the fifth most common cause of death in childhood. There is no known cure for this lifelong condition that has complex variations in symptoms and severity. Families are faced with challenges in how to find new, safe and effective interventions and how to choose treatments that align with their family priorities. People with the lived experience of cerebral palsy were connected with clinical experts, software developers and mHealth researchers through focus groups and workshops. Together, a mobile health (mHealth) aide was codesigned and developed to streamline and filter treatments based on family priorities. The aide contains a step-by-step guide, a search function, treatment factsheets, and support resources to empower evidence-based personalised decision making. The mHealth app has been endorsed by research partners and will be freely available in app stores worldwide.

Keywords: cerebral palsy; knowledge translation; mHealth aide; treatment guide.