Developing a theoretically grounded, digital, ecological momentary intervention for parental bereavement care using...

Area of Science:

• Bereavement care research
• Digital health interventions
• Pediatric psychology

Background:

• Existing bereavement care models inadequately address the specific needs of bereaved parents.
• Bereaved parents face significant challenges in accessing available support services.
• There is a need for accessible and tailored interventions for grieving parents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate the feasibility and usability of a web-based intervention prototype for bereaved parents.
• To identify areas for improvement in the intervention's design and delivery.
• To inform future development of digital tools for enhanced bereavement support.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, cross-sectional feasibility and usability study was conducted.
• 14 participants, including pediatric providers, software developers, and bereaved parents, were recruited using convenience and snowball sampling.
• Qualitative feedback was gathered to assess the intervention prototype.

Main Results:

• The web-based intervention prototype was generally found to be acceptable by participants.
• Three key themes emerged for enhancing usability and acceptability: timing of the intervention, its delivery method, and necessary revisions.
• Participant feedback highlighted specific areas for refinement.

Conclusions:

• Further development of the web-based intervention is necessary to optimize its usability and acceptability.
• Enhancements in timing, delivery, and revisions are crucial for improving parental engagement.
• The intervention holds potential for improving short- and long-term physical and psychological outcomes for bereaved parents with further refinement.