Randomized Controlled Trial of Acute Illness Educational Intervention in the Pediatric Emergency Department: Written Versus Application-Based Education.
Publication/Presentation Date
4-1-2020
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the (1) feasibility, (2) demand, (3) acceptability, and (4) usefulness of a mobile health (mHealth) application (app) compared with a written intervention distributed in a pediatric emergency department (ED).
METHODS: This was a randomized controlled trial with parents of children 12 years or younger presenting to the ED for nonurgent complaints. Parents were randomized to receive a (1) low literacy pediatric health book with video, (2) pediatric mHealth app, (3) both 1 and 2, or (4) car-seat safety video and handout (control). Demand, acceptability, and usefulness were assessed at 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-ups. Modified intention-to-treat analysis was completed for proportional data.
RESULTS: Ninety-eight parents completed randomization (83% approached). One or more follow-up was completed for 80.6% of parents. Only 57.1% downloaded the app. Parents used the app less than the book (35.1% vs 73.0%, P < 0.01), found the app to be harder to understand (26.0% vs 94.6%, P < 0.001) and less useful (37.8% vs 70.3%, P < 0.01), and were less likely to recommend the app to others (48.7% vs 100%, P < 0.01). No parent who received both book and app would prefer to have only the app; 88.9% of parents wanted either the book or both.
CONCLUSIONS: There was low demand for an mHealth app with parents who prefer, accept, and use the book more. Giving written health information to vulnerable populations in a pediatric ED has the capacity to empower parents with knowledge to care for a child and potentially decrease future nonurgent ED use with translation into a larger study.
Volume
36
Issue
4
First Page
192
Last Page
192
ISSN
1535-1815
Published In/Presented At
Lepley, B. E., Brousseau, D. C., May, M. F., & Morrison, A. K. (2020). Randomized Controlled Trial of Acute Illness Educational Intervention in the Pediatric Emergency Department: Written Versus Application-Based Education. Pediatric emergency care, 36(4), e192–e198. https://doi.org/10.1097/PEC.0000000000001719
Disciplines
Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
PubMedID
30624425
Department(s)
Administration and Leadership
Document Type
Article