Perceptions of online support for hospitalized children and adolescents

Area of Science:

• Pediatric healthcare
• Digital health interventions
• Child psychology

Background:

• Hospitalization presents unique challenges for children, impacting their emotional and social well-being.
• Online support networks offer a potential avenue for mitigating these challenges.
• Limited research exists on the perceived outcomes of these digital interventions for pediatric patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the perceived outcomes of hospitalized children's participation in a pediatric online support network.
• To explore the benefits and challenges associated with utilizing such networks from multiple stakeholder perspectives.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving interviews with 19 participants.
• Participants included child/adolescent patients, parent/family caregivers, and healthcare providers.
• Triadic sampling ensured diverse stakeholder viewpoints were captured.

Main Results:

• Online support networks fostered enjoyment, education, peer connection, and coping mechanisms for pediatric patients.
• Key catalysts for positive outcomes included access to information, social connection, and distraction.
• Barriers identified were computer inaccessibility, technological issues, and discomfort with online interactions.

Conclusions:

• Online support networks can be valuable resources for hospitalized children, promoting positive psychosocial outcomes.
• Addressing technological and accessibility barriers is crucial for maximizing the benefits of these digital health tools.
• Further research can optimize the design and implementation of online support for seriously ill children and their families.