Evaluation of the Compliance, Acceptance, and Usability of a Web-Based eHealth Intervention for Parents of Children With Infantile Hemangiomas: Usability Study

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Abstract

Background

Infantile hemangiomas (IH) are common benign vascular tumors in children. Recognition and timely referral of high risk IH to specialized centers is important. This might be achieved by involving parents in the care for IH by means of an eHealth intervention.

Objective

The objective of our study was to evaluate parent compliance, acceptance, and usability of an open access, Web-based eHealth intervention (including e-learning and e-consult) designed to increase parents’ knowledge and (risk) evaluation of IH.

Methods

A cross-sectional study of parents who completed the eHealth intervention between October 2010 and November 2012 was carried out. All parents were sent a study questionnaire. Questions to evaluate compliance (to the advice given by a dermatologist during e-consultation) were asked. Acceptance and usability were evaluated by using the modified Technology Acceptance Model.

Results

A total of 224 parents completed the eHealth intervention and received the questionnaire, 135/224 parents responded (response rate was 60.3%). There were 128/135 questionnaires that were completed and included. A total of 110/128 (85.9%) parents were compliant to the advice of the dermatologist. There were 116.8/128 (91.3%) that perceived the eHealth intervention as useful and almost all parents (98.4%, 126/128) found the information in the e-learning clear. There were 29/128 (22.7%) that experienced technical problems. The majority of the parents (94.5%, 121/128) found the eHealth intervention reliable and most of them (98.4%, 126/128) would recommend the eHealth intervention to other parents. Noncompliant parents judged the eHealth intervention significantly less reliable compared to compliant parents (71%, 10/14 versus 97.3%, 107/110; P=.003).

Conclusions

Parents of children with an IH showed a high compliance (85.9%, 110/128) to the advice of the dermatologist given via our Web-based eHealth intervention. This high compliance might be positively influenced by the good acceptance and usability of the eHealth intervention and might result in timely presentation and treatment of children with high risk IH in specialized centers.

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Most cited references 42

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Is Open Access

eHealth Literacy: Extending the Digital Divide to the Realm of Health Information

Efrat Neter, Esther Brainin (2012)

Background eHealth literacy is defined as the ability of people to use emerging information and communications technologies to improve or enable health and health care. Objective The goal of this study was to explore whether literacy disparities are diminished or enhanced in the search for health information on the Internet. The study focused on (1) traditional digital divide variables, such as sociodemographic characteristics, digital access, and digital literacy, (2) information search processes, and (3) the outcomes of Internet use for health information purposes. Methods We used a countrywide representative random-digital-dial telephone household survey of the Israeli adult population (18 years and older, N = 4286). We measured eHealth literacy; Internet access; digital literacy; sociodemographic factors; perceived health; presence of chronic diseases; as well as health information sources, content, search strategies, and evaluation criteria used by consumers. Results Respondents who were highly eHealth literate tended to be younger and more educated than their less eHealth-literate counterparts. They were also more active consumers of all types of information on the Internet, used more search strategies, and scrutinized information more carefully than did the less eHealth-literate respondents. Finally, respondents who were highly eHealth literate gained more positive outcomes from the information search in terms of cognitive, instrumental (self-management of health care needs, health behaviors, and better use of health insurance), and interpersonal (interacting with their physician) gains. Conclusions The present study documented differences between respondents high and low in eHealth literacy in terms of background attributes, information consumption, and outcomes of the information search. The association of eHealth literacy with background attributes indicates that the Internet reinforces existing social differences. The more comprehensive and sophisticated use of the Internet and the subsequent increased gains among the high eHealth literate create new inequalities in the domain of digital health information. There is a need to educate at-risk and needy groups (eg, chronically ill) and to design technology in a mode befitting more consumers.

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Investigating healthcare professionals’ decisions to accept telemedicine technology: an empirical test of competing theories

Patrick Y.K. Chau, Paul Hu (2002)

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Growth characteristics of infantile hemangiomas: implications for management.

Eulalia Baselga, Sarah L Chamlin, A. Horii … (2008)

Infantile hemangiomas often are inapparent at birth and have a period of rapid growth during early infancy followed by gradual involution. More precise information on growth could help predict short-term outcomes and make decisions about when referral or intervention, if needed, should be initiated. The objective of this study was to describe growth characteristics of infantile hemangioma and compare growth with infantile hemangioma referral patterns. A prospective cohort study involving 7 tertiary care pediatric dermatology practices was conducted. Growth data were available for a subset of 526 infantile hemangiomas in 433 patients from a cohort study of 1096 children. Inclusion criteria were age younger than 18 months at time of enrollment and presence of at least 1 infantile hemangioma. Growth stage and rate were compared with clinical characteristics and timing of referrals. Eighty percent of hemangioma size was reached during the early proliferative stage at a mean age of 3 months. Differences in growth between hemangioma subtypes included that deep hemangiomas tend to grow later and longer than superficial hemangiomas and that segmental hemangiomas tended to exhibit more continued growth after 3 months of age. The mean age of first visit was 5 months. Factors that predicted need for follow-up included ongoing proliferation, larger size, deep component, and segmental and indeterminate morphologic subtypes. Most infantile hemangioma growth occurs before 5 months, yet 5 months was also the mean age at first visit to a specialist. Recognition of growth characteristics and factors that predict the need for follow-up could help aid in clinical decision-making. The first few weeks to months of life are a critical time in hemangioma growth. Infants with hemangiomas need close observation during this period, and those who need specialty care should be referred and seen as early as possible within this critical growth period.

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Author and article information

Contributors

Marlies de Graaf:

Wilhelmina Children’s HospitalDepartment of Pediatric Dermatology and AllergologyUniversity Medical Center UtrechtG02.124Heidelberglaan 100Utrecht, 3584 CXNetherlands31 88755738831 887555404m.degraaf-10@umcutrecht.nl

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): JMIR Res Protoc

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): JMIR Res Protoc

Journal ID (publisher-id): ResProt

Title: JMIR Research Protocols

Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc. (Toronto, Canada )

ISSN (Electronic): 1929-0748

Publication date Collection: Jul-Dec 2013

Publication date (Electronic): 17 December 2013

Volume: 2

Issue: 2

Electronic Location Identifier: e54

Affiliations

[1] ¹Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital Department of Pediatric Dermatology and Allergology University Medical Center Utrecht UtrechtNetherlands

[2] ²University Medical Center Department of Dermatology and Allergology University Medical Center Utrecht UtrechtNetherlands

[3] ³Children’s Hospital Erasmus University Medical Center-Sophia Department of Pediatric Dermatology Erasmus University Medical Center RotterdamNetherlands

[4] ⁴Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital Department of Pediatric Plastic Surgery University Medical Center Utrecht UtrechtNetherlands

Author notes

Corresponding Author: Marlies de Graaf m.degraaf-10@ 123456umcutrecht.nl

Article

Publisher ID: v2i2e54

DOI: 10.2196/resprot.2897

PMC ID: 3875905

PubMed ID: 24345450

SO-VID: cbd50cdb-bd5a-41f2-a7bb-75c420a4a5e1

Copyright © ©Marlies de Graaf, Joan Totte, Corstiaan Breugem, Harmieke van Os-Medendorp, Suzanne Pasmans. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 17.12.2013.

License:

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in JMIR Research Protocols, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on http://www.researchprotocols.org, as well as this copyright and license information must be included.

History

Date received : 22 August 2013

Date revision requested : 19 September 2013

Date revision received : 30 October 2013

Date accepted : 30 October 2013

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