Goal-based SDM: Qualitative analysis for pediatric PT

The June 30, 2026 PLoS ONE qualitative study shows that SDM in pediatric physical therapy should be goal-based, starting at intake and continuing through periodic evaluations, with time constraints and multiple perspectives as primary barriers.

The study maps themes to CFIR and recommends multifaceted implementation strategies; this post presents a 7-step Evidano workflow to extract themes, compare segments, and generate implementation plays.

• SDM timeline: apply SDM at intake (goal-setting), during option discussions, decision-making, and periodic evaluation.
• Top barriers: time constraints and balancing multiple perspectives were reported across CFIR domains.
• Top facilitators: adaptability of SDM conversations and a supportive practice culture enable tailored implementation.
• Implementation levers: training, practical SDM tools, protected learning time, champions, and team reflection.

This table summarizes key metrics and outputs from the June 30, 2026 PLoS ONE study on goal-based SDM in pediatric physical therapy.

The table below aggregates publication date, focus group details, survey validation, primary outputs, and top barriers and facilitators as reported by the study.

The PLoS ONE paper published June 30, 2026 adapted a goal-based SDM model for pediatric physical therapy and identified barriers and facilitators through qualitative methods.

Read the original paper at PLoS ONE.

• Key payoff: SDM should start at intake/goal-setting and continue through evaluations; barriers include time and multiple perspectives; facilitators include adaptable conversations and supportive practice culture.
• This study maps interview codes onto CFIR domains and recommends multifaceted implementation strategies (training, tools, team culture).

The authors conducted six focus groups and a qualitative survey to identify how SDM should be applied in pediatric physical therapy.

The authors ran six focus groups (adolescents, parents, pediatric physical therapists) and a qualitative survey of 46 PPTs to validate findings, coded transcripts inductively for themes, and mapped themes deductively to CFIR domains to identify barriers and facilitators.

• Where SDM applies: intake (preparation), explicit goal talk, choice/options talk, decision talk, and periodic evaluation.
• What to discuss: frequency, duration, homework/home context, expectations of family and therapist, and referrals.
• Implementation levers: training, practical SDM tools, protected learning time, champions and team reflection.

This 7-step checklist is a short, repeatable workflow to reproduce the study’s outputs in your context using Evidano.

• 1) Import recordings, meeting notes, and survey responses into Evidano; enable PII redaction and set a custom dictionary for clinical terms.
• 2) Auto-transcribe and review transcripts; attach demographics (age, role, practice) as segments.
• 3) Run automatic thematic extraction; review and refine code hierarchy (goal talk, choice talk, evaluation, barriers, facilitators).
• 4) Map codes to CFIR domains using a custom mapping table; generate a barrier/facilitator frequency matrix.
• 5) Produce cross-segment comparisons (adolescent vs parent vs therapist) and extract representative quotes per theme.
• 6) Create visuals (co-occurrence network, hierarchical code → subcodes) and export an implementation playbook linked to CFIR-ERIC strategies.
• 7) Iterate: run targeted AI avatar interviews or follow-up surveys to probe high-priority barriers and measure change.

The PLoS ONE study (June 30, 2026) provides an adapted goal-based SDM model and a prioritized list of implementation strategies for pediatric physical therapy.

If you run qualitative analyses of SDM in pediatric physical therapy or any multi-stakeholder clinical setting, use an AI-enabled pipeline to compress coding time, compare segments reliably, and produce stakeholder-ready implementation plays.

• Try the 7-step workflow above in your next pilot and link themes to CFIR to choose tailored ERIC strategies.
• Ready to scale? Try Evidano for free to import transcripts, map to CFIR, and generate an implementation playbook with visuals and extractable quotes.

Ethics reminder: use these methods for research, quality improvement and implementation planning only; maintain informed consent and data protection.

Primary source: PLoS ONE.

Platform: Evidano.