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Web-based tailored intervention for preparation of parents and children for outpatient surgery (WebTIPS): development
Zeev N Kain1, Michelle A Fortier, Jill MacLaren Chorney
1From the *Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care, University of California, Irvine, Orange, California; †UCI Center on Stress & Health, University of California, Irvine, Orange, California; ‡Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; §Departments of Anesthesiology, Pain Management and Perioperative Medicine, and Psychology, Dalhousie University and IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia; and ∥Departments of Pediatrics and Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
Insights
A new Web-based Tailored Intervention for Preparation of parents and children undergoing Surgery (WebTIPS) was developed to address the lack of surgical preparation programs. This digital tool offers tailored content for children and parents, enhancing preoperative care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Health Informatics
- Digital Health Interventions
Background:
- Cost-containment measures limit access to traditional outpatient surgery preparation programs for children and parents.
- The internet offers a novel platform to improve surgical preparation accessibility.
- Development of the Web-based Tailored Intervention for Preparation of parents and children undergoing Surgery (WebTIPS) is described.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a Web-based tailored preoperative preparation program for children and parents undergoing surgery.
- To leverage internet technology for accessible and effective surgical preparation.
Main Methods:
- A multidisciplinary taskforce designed a Web-based intervention with intake, matrix, and output modules.
- Content development included intake variables, matrix logic, and tailored output for parents and children.
- The intervention incorporates strategies like information provision, modeling, play, coping skills training, and relaxation techniques.
- A professional web design company developed a secure, animated, Web-based product.
Main Results:
- The WebTIPS program was developed, featuring distinct parent and child components.
- The intervention is accessible online, allowing multiple accesses before and after surgery.
- Specific preparation strategies were integrated into both parent and child modules.
Conclusions:
- A Web-based tailored preoperative preparation program (WebTIPS) has been developed for children and parents.
- This program can be accessed repeatedly before and after surgical procedures.
- Further evaluation of its efficacy is presented in a subsequent article.
Background:
As a result of cost-containment efforts, preparation programs for outpatient surgery are currently not available to the majority of children and parents. The recent dramatic growth in the Internet presents a unique opportunity to transform how children and their parents are prepared for surgery. In this article, we describe the development of a Web-based Tailored Intervention for Preparation of parents and children undergoing Surgery (WebTIPS).
Development Of Program:
A multidisciplinary taskforce agreed that a Web-based tailored intervention consisting of intake, matrix, and output modules was the preferred approach. Next, the content of the various intake variables, the matrix logic, and the output content was developed. The output product has a parent component and a child component and is described in http://surgerywebtips.com/about.php. The child component makes use of preparation strategies such as information provision, modeling, play, and coping skills training. The parent component of WebTIPS includes strategies such as information provision, coping skills training, and relaxation and distraction techniques. A reputable animation and Web design company developed a secured Web-based product based on the above description.
Conclusions:
In this article, we describe the development of a Web-based tailored preoperative preparation program that can be accessed by children and parents multiple times before and after surgery. A follow-up article in this issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia describes formative evaluation and preliminary efficacy testing of this Web-based tailored preoperative preparation program.
