The Canadian anaphylaxis action plan for kids: development and validation

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
• Patient Education and Communication

Background:

• Anaphylaxis action plans are crucial for managing severe allergic reactions in children.
• Existing plans may lack patient-centered design, impacting comprehension and usability.
• Validated, visually-supported tools are needed to improve pediatric anaphylaxis care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and validate the Canadian Anaphylaxis Action Plan for Kids (Kids' CAP) using a patient-centered approach.
• To assess the Kids' CAP's impact on anaphylaxis recognition and treatment.
• To determine the perceived usefulness and design quality of the Kids' CAP among end-users.

Main Methods:

• Developed the Kids' CAP incorporating validated pictograms and written instructions.
• Assessed readability and understandability using validated instruments.
• Conducted clinical validation with pediatric patients and parents, followed by comprehension and usefulness interviews.

Main Results:

• Modified Kids' CAP content to achieve a Grade 7 readability level.
• Achieved high mean scores for comprehensibility (23.1/SD 2.4) and design quality (25.1/SD 2.3).
• Demonstrated strong comprehension scores (11.3/SD 1.8 out of 12) regardless of prior anaphylaxis experience or literacy level.

Conclusions:

• Patient and child engagement in developing anaphylaxis action plans enhances usability.
• The Kids' CAP is a validated, effective tool for improving anaphylaxis comprehension and management in clinical settings.