Ralph W. Coonrad, MD, Visiting Professor Michael Wade Shrader, MD, division chief, Nemours Cerebral Palsy Center at Nemours Children's Hospital, presented his expertise about family-centered orthopaedic care for children with cerebral palsy at Grand Rounds last week.
He aimed to answer the question, 'What do families really want?'
"Our families tell us, 'I want my child to be normal.' The information we provide is key. High-stress levels for families require us to instill hope, listen, and not overpromise. Families struggle to fully understand the scope of the trajectory of a lifelong illness. We must cover the biological, psychological, and social prongs to help them create a safe environment at home. Family-centered care is so much more than the surgical treatments we deploy."