7712University of Connecticut School of Nursing, Storrs, CT, USA.
Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO, USA.
J Pediatr Hematol Oncol Nurs. 2022 Jul-Aug;39(4):264-272. doi: 10.1177/27527530211073307. Epub 2022 Feb 15.
Mobile health technologies can assist children to communicate their symptom experiences in a developmentally appropriate format. However, few investigations have examined how mHealth resources may also assist parents in their caregiver role. The purpose of this study was to explore how a symptom assessment app designed for school-age children with cancer could further inform parents as caregivers. Nineteen parents (18 mothers; median 35 years old, range 26-48 years) of children (6-12 years of age) receiving cancer treatment participated in the feasibility/acceptability trial of a game-based symptom assessment app. Acceptability interviews with parents were completed after each child's trial with the app. We completed a secondary analysis of the parent interviews using thematic analysis to examine how the app could support parents in their caregiving role. Parents perceived the app to (1) elicit the child's voice about his/her symptom experience; (2) provide a supportive and safe environment for the child to report symptoms; and (3) create an opportunity to facilitate communication between the child, parent, and clinical team. Parents expressed a willingness for their child to represent his/her experience with the app so that they could make informed decisions regarding symptom care. Perceived benefits of the app extended to parents as they described developing further insight into their child's cancer experience. The knowledge gained allowed parents the potential to enhance symptom communication and supportive care strategies. Future research should further evaluate how mHealth tools facilitate shared symptom management between children receiving treatment for cancer and their caregivers.
移动健康技术可以帮助儿童以适合其发展阶段的格式来交流他们的症状体验。然而，很少有研究探讨移动健康资源如何也可以帮助家长履行其照顾者的角色。本研究的目的是探讨为患有癌症的学龄儿童设计的症状评估应用程序如何进一步为家长提供信息，帮助他们履行照顾者的角色。19 名（18 名母亲；中位数年龄 35 岁，范围 26-48 岁）正在接受癌症治疗的儿童（6-12 岁）的家长参与了一款基于游戏的症状评估应用程序的可行性/可接受性试验。在每个孩子试用该应用程序后，家长完成了接受度访谈。我们使用主题分析对家长访谈进行了二次分析，以研究该应用程序如何支持家长履行其照顾者的角色。家长认为该应用程序能够：(1) 引出孩子对其症状体验的声音；(2) 为孩子报告症状提供支持和安全的环境；(3) 为孩子、家长和临床团队之间的沟通提供机会。家长表示愿意让孩子使用该应用程序来代表自己的体验，以便他们能够就症状护理做出明智的决策。家长们还表示，他们从应用程序中获得了进一步了解孩子癌症经历的机会，这是他们所期望的。这种知识使家长有可能增强症状沟通和支持性护理策略。未来的研究应进一步评估移动健康工具如何促进正在接受癌症治疗的儿童及其照顾者之间的共同症状管理。
