Qualitative analysis of SDM in pediatric PT

Limmen et al. (published June 30, 2026) show that shared decision making in pediatric physical therapy should start at intake with goal-first conversations, continue throughout therapy, and be adapted per child and family. Evidano is an AI-powered qualitative data analysis platform that accelerates transcription, coding, validation, and stakeholder reporting so teams can reproduce the study’s synthesis and translate barriers into CFIR-ERIC implementation steps.

• Start SDM at intake and goal setting, then revisit SDM at planned and ad-hoc evaluation moments, per Limmen et al. (Jun 30, 2026).
• The study used six focus groups and a 46-respondent qualitative survey to adapt a goal-based SDM model and to match implementation strategies to CFIR domains.
• A 7-step Evidano workflow converts transcripts into validated themes, co-occurrence networks, implementation checklists, and stakeholder-ready reports in days, not weeks.

This section summarizes the study and its primary source: Limmen et al. ran six focus groups and a validation survey, then adapted an SDM model and mapped implementation strategies to CFIR and COM-B. The study’s full report is available in PLOS One.

• Audience payoff: how to reproduce the study’s qualitative synthesis and implement SDM-focused outputs using Evidano.
• Soft CTA: Try the workflow below on a pilot corpus (transcripts plus PROMs) to produce theme maps and stakeholder reports in days, not weeks.

Limmen et al. ran a two-phase qualitative study that combined focus groups and a validation survey and then mapped findings to implementation tools. Phase 1 included six focus groups separated by stakeholder type and a qualitative survey to validate findings; transcripts were verbatim and analyzed inductively (themes) and deductively (barriers and facilitators mapped to CFIR domains). Phase 2 adapted van der Pol’s goal-based SDM model for pediatric physical therapy and selected implementation strategies using the CFIR-ERIC tool supplemented by COM-B behavior-change options.

• Where SDM fits: SDM starts at intake and goal talk and recurs at planned and ad-hoc evaluation moments.
• Decision topics suitable for SDM: treatment frequency and duration, homework and home context, expectations, and referral options.
• Top barriers: therapist time constraints, administrative load, and managing divergent stakeholder preferences.
• Top facilitators: adaptable SDM per family, supportive practice culture, and tools and training for goal setting.

The following 7-step workflow reproduces Limmen et al.’s synthesis using Evidano.

Step 1; Import: upload focus-group audio, survey text, and meeting notes, and either use Evidano transcription with PII redaction or upload existing transcripts.

Step 2; Prep: apply a project-level codebook seeded with CFIR and goal-based SDM constructs, and add study-specific initial codes (intake, goal setting, choice talk, option talk, evaluation).

Step 3; Auto-code & Review: run AI-assisted coding to suggest theme assignments, and have researchers and clinicians review and confirm codes with inter-coder reconciliation support.

Step 4; Segment & Compare: slice by stakeholder (adolescent, parent, PT), by decision stage, and by practice setting (home, clinic, school), and run frequency and cross-segment analyses.

Step 5; Visualize: generate co-occurrence networks and hierarchical code trees to surface clusters (for example, time constraints co-occurring with admin load).

Step 6; Translate to Implementation: map top barriers to CFIR domains inside Evidano and export matched ERIC strategies as a checklist for training and team interventions.

Step 7; Report & Share: produce stakeholder-ready PDFs with pull-quotes, PROM-linked tables, and an executive brief, and maintain an audit trail for ethics and IRB review.

• Ethics note: qualitative findings with pediatric detail are research-only and potentially identifying, use Evidano’s PII redaction and secure sharing features when preparing materials for broader audiences.

This post summarizes Limmen et al. (published June 30, 2026): start SDM at intake with goal-first conversations, adapt involvement per child and family, and use multifaceted strategies to overcome time and capacity barriers. If you want to reproduce the study’s qualitative synthesis or pilot SDM implementation across practices, Evidano accelerates each step from transcription to theme validation and visually compelling, stakeholder-ready outputs. Run a pilot in Evidano with one focus-group dataset and one practice’s session notes, and Try Evidano for free.