Authors: (including presenting author): :
Lau SM (1), Chan CY (1), See KH (1), Lee CC (1), Tsui YCA (1), Yeung KC (1)
Affiliation: :
(1) Physiotherapy Department, Prince of Wales Hospital
Keyword 1: :
gross motor delay
Keyword 3: :
caregiver empowerment
Keyword 4: :
self-health management
Keyword 6: :
physiotherapy
Introduction: :
Children with gross motor delay traditionally received one-to-one physiotherapy sessions at Prince of Wales Hospital, creating demands on department space and manpower. A new group class integrated with telehealth and caregiver training, was introduced in August 2025 to maintain clinical outcomes while improving service efficiency, and optimising department resources.
Objectives: :
This ongoing project aimed to examine whether an integrated, level-specific group class for children aged 3 to 8 could achieve functional gains comparable to traditional individual training, while empowering caregivers for home training, also saving department space and manpower.
Methodology: :
Children aged 3 to 8 years with gross motor delay (n=20) attended six monthly individual training, followed by six themed group sessions (4-6 participants, 60 minutes, once in 2-3 weeks), focusing on balance, jumping, ball skills, agility and core strength, with Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency Second Edition (BOT-2) assessments conducted at baseline, after six individual sessions, and after six group sessions. A telehealth session and home record booklet were provided to train caregivers in targeted home exercises and simple assessment. The preliminary results of four patients were analysed using within-subject changes in BOT-2 standard scores, comparing improvements after monthly individual training (IT) and after the subsequent group training (GT).
Result & Outcome: :
The group class phase showed significantly greater improvement in upper limb coordination than the individual training phase (GT: 2.00±0.82 versus 0.50±0.58, p=0.014). Similar improvement trends were shown in bilateral coordination (GT: 1.25±0.96 vs IT: 0.75±0.96), balance (GT: 1.75±0.50 vs IT: 1.25±0.50), running speed/agility (GT: 1.25±0.50 vs IT: 0.75±0.96) and strength (GT: 2.25±0.50 vs IT: 1.25±0.96). An integrated group training with telehealth and parental involvement could replace traditional individual training with better functional outcomes. The telehealth session and home exercise record support caregivers to continue training at home and facilitate faster discharge. Compared to traditional one-to-one training, this comprehensive group approach reduces manpower by at least 75% while enhancing clinical outcomes. This is an ongoing project, and outcomes from other subjects will be available in a few months.
