Friday 01 November 2024
Health technology should be easy to use, have the ability to be personalised, allow the user to choose how their information is shared and where possible, have in-built games and incentives according to children and young people.
That’s the findings of a recent scoping review into the preferences of those aged up to and including 18 years when using health technology to manage their long-term conditions (LTCs) including diabetes, cystic fibrosis, anxiety, depression, and asthma.
The review was undertaken by researchers from the University of Leicester, alongside Sheffield Hallam University, the Universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York, the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) HealthTech Research Centre in Paediatrics and Child Health, and most importantly, with young people. The findings have now been published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood.
Researchers analysed data from 161 journal articles undertaken in mostly high-income countries, describing the preferences of children and young people.
Lead researcher, Dr Jackie Martin-Kerry, a Research Fellow from the University of Leicester’s School of Healthcare said:
“The review clearly shows how important it is to acknowledge that children and young people have their own expert opinions about health technology and should be involved in its development to ensure its success and continued uptake, rather than only asking parents or clinicians.”
To ensure the findings were meaningful and contextually appropriate, a Patient and Public advisory group of young people with LTCs from across England was put together to guide the study and lead the development of recommendations for future health technology development/research.
The NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Paediatrics and Child Health supported the facilitation of regular workshops with this fantastic group of young people involved in this research. Together we explored what scoping reviews look like (and why they are important), discussed early findings and decisions on inclusion/exclusion criteria, added further detail and context to the themes found within the review, and shaped recommendations for future researchers and developers looking at health technologies for children and young people.
Dr Gemma Wheeler, Senior Project Manager at the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Paediatrics and Child Health who supported this work, says:
“I have been blown away by the dedication and valuable input from the young people involved in this project. The team has taken part over several years, and shown that not only are young people able to engage with complex academic processes such as scoping reviews, but that they have important insights to improve the validity and usefulness of the findings generated. It has been a genuine delight working with them, and I’m proud to be a co-author alongside them.“
The study found that children and young people have four main preferences and needs:
- Design and functionality – easy to use applications and clear content with the use of bright colours and age- and developmentally-appropriate imagery and multi-media content.
- A balance between privacy and sharing when using technology. For instance, the ability to connect with others with similar conditions or experiences through chat rooms and immediacy of communication with healthcare professionals and assessment via messaging or video to facilitate timely and targeted intervention.
- Interaction within the technology to communicate, avoiding embarrassment and maintaining independence. They also expected security functions in healthcare technologies and appreciated autonomy and control over their information.
- The ability to customise and personalise technologies using emojis and design avatar characters, as well as being able to set motivational goals and personalised reminders to incentivise them to progress and achieve.
The research was funded by the Collaboration Fund from the White Rose University Consortium. Find out more using the links below.