Stakeholders' Perspectives on Communication and Collaboration Following School Reintegration of a Seriously Ill Child: A Literature Review

Background Reintegration into school is a decisive time for children who have been absent from school due to health problems, such as survivors of brain tumours and other types of acquired brain injury or cancer in childhood. Parents, school staff and healthcare providers are important stakeholders during this phase of transition. Objective To study the perspectives of parents, school personnel and healthcare providers on communication and collaboration following the childs return to school, to gain insight into their experiences, and to develop recommendations for each stakeholder. Method We reviewed the literature on school reintegration in accordance with the configurative approach for research synthesis. Search and selection processes ended in 22 articles published between January 2000 and September 2015, consisting of quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods research. Data analysis resulted in themes with emphasis on communication and collaboration. Results Knowledge about the childs condition, education and support are the main topics of consultation between parents, school personnel and healthcare providers. Based on their experiences, practices of communication and collaboration are variable and mostly inadequate. They report clear and complementary needs and expectations on how to effectively work together. Especially the need for a school liaison as connection between family, education and healthcare is commonly discussed. Conclusion The often suboptimal communication and collaboration between parents, school personnel and healthcare providers needs more coordination and consistency, starting from the childs return to school. In addition, all stakeholders should be aware of related factors that facilitate or hinder the childs reintegration process.

Publication year:2018

Keywords:Acquired brain injury, Brain tumour, Cancer, Children, Communication and collaboration, Literature review, School reintegration

BOF-keylabel:yes

BOF-publication weight:1

CSS-citation score:1

Authors:International

Authors from:Higher Education

Accessibility:Closed