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The effectiveness of web-based mobile health interventions in paediatric outpatient surgery: A systematic review and
Arja Rantala1, Minna Pikkarainen2,3, Jouko Miettunen4,5
1Research Unit of Nursing Science and Health Management, Faculty of Medicine Research Group of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Insights
Web-based mobile health interventions effectively reduce pre-operative anxiety in children undergoing day surgery. These digital tools also enhance parental satisfaction, offering a valuable non-pharmacological approach.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Digital Health Interventions
- Anxiety Management
Background:
- Day surgery requires effective strategies to manage pediatric anxiety.
- Mobile health (mHealth) interventions offer a novel approach to pre-operative preparation.
- Parental satisfaction is a key outcome in pediatric surgical care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and meta-analyze the effectiveness of web-based mobile health interventions for pediatric day surgery.
- To assess the impact on children's pre-operative anxiety, postoperative pain, and parental outcomes.
- To evaluate parental satisfaction with the day surgery process.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- Searched multiple databases (CENTRAL, CINAHL, Scopus, MEDLINE, Web of Science) up to December 2018.
- Utilized the Cochrane risk of bias tool and performed random-effects meta-analysis for pre-operative anxiety.
Main Results:
- Included 8 studies with 722 patients; analyzed 6 studies (560 children) for pre-operative anxiety.
- Web-based interventions (videos, games) significantly reduced pre-operative anxiety (moderate effect size).
- Parental satisfaction was positively reported in three studies.
Conclusions:
- Web-based mobile health interventions are effective in reducing pre-operative anxiety in pediatric patients.
- These interventions can increase parental satisfaction in the day surgery context.
- Considered as non-pharmacological distraction tools, mHealth interventions show promise in pediatric nursing.
Aims:
To evaluate the effectiveness of web-based mobile health interventions on paediatric patients and their parents in the day surgery context, where the primary outcome was children's pre-operative anxiety and secondary outcomes were postoperative pain and parents' anxiety and satisfaction with entire course of the day surgery.
Design:
A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Data Sources:
CENTRAL, CINAHL, Scopus, Ovid MEDLINE, and Web of Science were systematically searched without time limits (up to December 2018).
Review Methods:
Studies were appraised using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. A random effect meta-analysis of children's pre-operative anxiety was performed.
Results:
Eight studies with a total of 722 patients were included in the analysis. The effectiveness of web-based mobile health interventions, including age-appropriate videos, web-based game apps, and educational preparation games made for the hospital environment, was examined in pre-operative settings. A meta-analysis (N = 560 children) based on six studies found a statistically significant reduction in pre-operative anxiety measured by the Modified Yale Pre-operative Anxiety Scale with a moderate effect size. Three studies reported parental satisfaction.
Conclusion:
Web-based mobile health interventions can reduce children's pre-operative anxiety and increase parental satisfaction. Web-based mobile health interventions could be considered as non-pharmacological distraction tools for children in nursing. There is not enough evidence regarding the effectiveness of reducing children's postoperative pain and parental anxiety using similar interventions.
Impact:
Web-based mobile health interventions reduce children´s pre-operative anxiety and could therefore be considered as non-pharmacological distraction tools for children in nursing.
