Feasibility and Acceptability of a mHealth Self-Management Intervention for Pediatric Transplant Families

Systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions to promote medication adherence among children, adolescents, and young adults with medical conditions

OBJECTIVE

This meta-analysis examined the efficacy of adherence-promotion interventions for children, adolescents, and young adults prescribed a medication for > 90 days as part of a treatment regimen for a medical condition.

METHODS

A systematic literature review was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials of adherence-promotion interventions published between 2013 and 2023 and including children, adolescents, and/or young adults with a medical condition. A total of 38 articles representing 39 trials met inclusion criteria. A narrative synthesis was conducted to summarize included trials and a random-effects model was used to compute an overall intervention effect. Effect sizes by adherence outcome assessment methodology, participant age, and technology use were also computed.

RESULTS

Pediatric adherence-promotion interventions demonstrate a medium effect with those randomized to an intervention displaying greater improvements in medication adherence than those randomized to a comparator condition (SMD = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.31, 0.60, n = 37; 95% Prediction Interval: -0.32, 1.23).

CONCLUSIONS

Adherence interventions for children, adolescents, and young adults with medical conditions increase adherence.

The impact of rural status on pediatric chronic kidney disease

Children and adolescents in rural areas with chronic kidney disease (CKD) face unique challenges related to accessing pediatric nephrology care. Challenges to obtaining care begin with living increased distances from pediatric health care centers. Recent trends of increasing centralization of pediatric care mean fewer locations have pediatric nephrology, inpatient, and intensive care services. In addition, access to care for rural populations expands beyond distance and encompasses domains of approachability, acceptability, availability and accommodation, affordability, and appropriateness. Furthermore, the current literature identifies additional barriers to care for rural patients that include limited resources, including finances, education, and community/neighborhood social resources. Rural pediatric kidney failure patients have barriers to kidney replacement therapy options that may be even more limited for rural pediatric kidney failure patients when compared to rural adults with kidney failure. This educational review identifies possible strategies to improve health systems for rural CKD patients and their families: (1) increasing rural patient and hospital/clinic representation and focus in research, (2) understanding and mediating gaps in the geographic distribution of the pediatric nephrology workforce, (3) introducing regionalization models for delivering pediatric nephrology care to geographic areas, and (4) employing telehealth to expand the geographic reach of services and reduce family time and travel burden.

Building Partnerships to Improve Health Outcomes: Pediatric Patient and Family Engagement in Nephrology Practice

As health care practices have evolved from a disease-oriented to patient-focused paradigm, patient and family engagement (PFE) has been recognized as an important aspect of health care delivery and outcomes. While pediatricians have long approached care delivery with a family-centered lens, PFE may be a less familiar concept to situate among related concepts such as shared decision-making, self-efficacy, patient activation, and family-centered care. Children with CKD and their families indicate a need and desire for enhanced PFE efforts in pediatric nephrology. Improving PFE offers the opportunity to provide our patients and families with skills that will positively impact their health and wellness throughout their lives. In this review, we define PFE, describe the components of and levels at which PFE occurs across the health care system, examine PFE interventions of promise, and finally suggest future directions to support PFE in pediatric nephrology.

Clinical Decision Support Systems Used in Transplantation: Are They Tools for Success or an Unnecessary Gadget? A Systematic Review

Although clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) have been used since the 1970s for a wide variety of clinical tasks including optimization of medication orders, improved documentation, and improved patient adherence, to date, no systematic reviews have been carried out to assess their utilization and efficacy in transplant medicine. The aim of this study is to systematically review studies that utilized a CDSS and assess impact on patient outcomes. A total of 48 articles were identified as meeting the author-derived inclusion criteria, including tools for posttransplant monitoring, pretransplant risk assessment, waiting list management, immunosuppressant management, and interpretation of histopathology. Studies included 15 984 transplant recipients. Tools aimed at helping with transplant patient immunosuppressant management were the most common (19 studies). Thirty-four studies (85%) found an overall clinical benefit following the implementation of a CDSS in clinical practice. Although there are limitations to the existing literature, current evidence suggests that implementing CDSS in transplant clinical settings may improve outcomes for patients. Limited evidence was found using more advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence in transplantation, and future studies should investigate the role of these emerging technologies.

Nurses' Experiences and Perspectives of the Telehealth Working Environment and Educational Needs

BACKGROUND

The continuing evolution of health care and the nursing profession includes the exponential growth of telehealth platforms. The goal of this study was to describe nurses' experiences with and perspectives on their practice with and future need for telehealth.

METHOD

A cross-sectional descriptive mixed methods study was conducted with nursing graduates from a single university. Completed survey questions focused on demographics, current work status, plans for employment participation, and telehealth experience. Descriptive analysis was conducted with statistical software, with directed content analysis for narrative responses.

RESULTS

A total of 305 of 5,080 participants completed the survey (6% response rate). Nurses described perceived benefits and barriers to working in a telehealth environment. Nurses identified continuing education needs that could form the basis for a telehealth continuing education program to increase confidence in telehealth delivery.

CONCLUSION

The identified telehealth educational needs will positively influence the formation of continuing education opportunities for practicing nurses. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2023;54(11):501-508.].

A scoping review of pediatric transplant education

BACKGROUND

Education is crucial for pediatric patients and caregivers throughout the transplant continuum, yet data are lacking around which interventions are effective and in what circumstances.

METHODS

We undertook a scoping review with the objectives of (a) describing the types, effects, and outcomes of patient-focused educational interventions before and after pediatric transplant and (b) understanding the educational experiences of patients and caregivers. Five scientific databases were explored for relevant literature using the JBI methodology. Educational interventions published in English, targeting pediatric solid organ transplant patients (0-25 years) and their caregivers were included. Relevant data from eligible articles (n = 27) were extracted and summarized.

RESULTS

Eighteen articles describing 17 educational interventions were identified for objective A, and nine articles qualitatively assessing patient or parental learning needs were identified for objective B. Most interventions were directed toward teenage patients and their caregivers post kidney transplant, primarily focusing on medication self-management and adherence, or providing general information on transplant using multicomponent delivery formats. Most interventions achieved statistically significant improvements in knowledge (n = 8/9) and patients or caregivers expressed satisfaction with the intervention (n = 7/7) but health-related outcomes such as medication adherence (n = 2/6) or behavior change (n = 1/3) rarely achieved statistically significant results. In objective B, patients and caregivers described the transplant process as overwhelming, but indicated that social supports and education helped them cope. Participants consistently wanted more information than they received.

CONCLUSION

Caregivers and pediatric patients value transplant education, but high-quality studies are limited. Since education is a fundamental part of the transplant process, future research in this area should be prioritized.

A Center Experience with Common Data Elements in Chronic Illness Self-Management Research

In recent decades, the use of common data elements has expanded across the health disciplines. This has included growth within programs of research focused on self-management and family nursing. Family nursing and self-management science may be expanded with the increased use of common concepts, measures, and theoretical frameworks. This article describes the experience of exploring the use of common data elements and identifying shared concepts from the perspective of one National Institute of Nursing Research funded Exploratory Center in Self-Management. Guidance offered by the Individual and Family Self-Management Theory is discussed, and implications for family research are presented.

Digital health for emotional and self-management support of caregivers of children receiving growth hormone treatment: a feasibility study protocol

Background

Caregivers of children undergoing growth hormone treatment often face stress and stigma. In this regard, family-centered approaches are increasingly considered, wherein caregivers’ mental wellbeing is taken into account to optimize children’s health-related outcomes and behaviors (e.g., treatment adherence). Here, mindfulness and parenting-based programs have been developed to support the mental wellbeing of caregivers and, in turn, promote richer interactions with the children. Nevertheless, this type of program can face drawbacks, such as the scheduling and availability of family members. Recent digital health (DH) solutions (e.g., mobile apps) are showing promising advantages as self-management support tools for improving wellbeing and behaviors related to the treatments. Although, further evidence is necessary in the field of Growth Hormone Treatment (GHt). Accordingly, this study aims to examine the usability of a mobile DH solution and the feasibility of a DH intervention designed to promote emotional and mental wellbeing of caregivers of children undergoing GHt.

Methods

This is a prospective mixed-methods (qualitative-quantitative) exploratory study composed of two sub-studies, including caregivers of children undergoing GHt. Sub-study one (SS1; n = 10) focuses on the usability of the DH solution (detecting potential barriers and facilitators) and an ad hoc semi-structured interview will be administered to the caregivers after using the DH solution for one month. Sub-study two (SS2; n = 55) aims to evaluate the feasibility of the DH intervention on caregivers’ perceived distress, positive affectivity, mental wellbeing, self-efficacy, together with the children’s quality of life and treatment adherence. All these parameters will be assessed via quantitative methods before and after 3-months of the DH intervention. Usability and engagement will also be assessed during and at the end of the study.

Results

It is expected that significant amounts of data will be captured with regards of the feasibility of the DH solution.

Discussion

The manuscript provides a complete protocol for a study that will include qualitative and quantitative information about, on one hand, the user-friendliness of the DH solution, and on the other, the effects on caregivers’ emotional, as well as, behavioral parameters in terms of the usability and engagement to the DH solution. The findings will contribute to the evidence planning process for the future adoption of digital health solutions for caregiver support and better health-related outcomes.

Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT04812665.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12911-022-01935-1.

Acceptability of an mHealth Family Self-management Intervention (myFAMI) for Pediatric Transplantation Families: Qualitative Focus

Background

Around 1800 pediatric transplantations were performed in 2021, which is approximately 5% of the annual rate of solid organ transplantations carried out in the United States. Effective family self-management in the transition from hospital to home-based recovery promotes successful outcomes of transplantation. The use of mHealth to deliver self-management interventions is a strategy that can be used to support family self-management for transplantation recipients and their families.

Objective

The study aims to evaluate the acceptability of an mHealth intervention (myFAMI) that combined use of a smartphone app with triggered nurse communication with family members of pediatric transplantation recipients.

Methods

This is a secondary analysis of qualitative data from family members who received the myFAMI intervention within a larger randomized controlled trial. Eligible participants used the app in the 30-day time frame after discharge and participated in a 30-day postdischarge telephone interview. Content analysis was used to generate themes.

Results

A total of 4 key themes were identified: (1) general acceptance, (2) positive interactions, (3) home management after hospital discharge, and (4) opportunities for improvement.

Conclusions

Acceptability of the intervention was high. Family members rated the smartphone application as easy to use. myFAMI allowed the opportunity for families to feel connected to and engage with the medical team while in their home environment. Family members valued and appreciated ongoing support and education specifically in this first 30 days after their child’s hospital discharge and many felt it contributed positively to the management of their child’s medical needs at home. Family members provided recommendations for future refinement of the app and some suggested that a longer follow-up period would be beneficial. The development and refinement of mHealth care delivery strategies hold potential for improving outcomes for solid organ transplantation patients and their families and as a model to consider in other chronic illness populations.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03533049; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03533049