Synergies, Discrepancies, and Action Priorities: A Statewide Engagement Study to Strengthen Clinical Research in Cerebral Palsy

The initiative described here was informed by caregivers of children with CP from Georgia, USA, using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach. CPBR is a collaborative approach, designed to give communities, which here include people with lived experience of CP, control over research processes and outcomes. Their perspectives were essential to the premise of this study and guided data interpretation, especially with regard to how their perspectives may or may not correspond to those of CP researchers and clinicians. To ensure inclusion of all perspectives, individuals with CP were also represented in these latter two engagement groups. Finally, the design, conduct, analysis and interpretation of data were informed by a researcher and a clinician-scientist, both of whom have lived experience as caregivers of children with CP.