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The Utility of a Pediatric COVID-19 Online Forward Triage Tool in Switzerland
Janet Michel1,2, Annette Mettler1,2, Carl Starvaggi3
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Insights
Online forward triage tools (OFTT) can aid pediatric COVID-19 management. Stakeholder involvement in developing these telehealth interventions is crucial for managing expectations and improving utility for families and healthcare providers.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health Informatics
- Public Health Interventions
- Digital Health
Background:
- Hospitals implemented online forward triage tools (OFTT) to manage healthcare system burdens during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The coronabambini.ch website was specifically designed for children and families in Switzerland to guide decisions on testing, isolation, school attendance, and healthcare access.
- This intervention aimed to streamline care pathways and provide accessible information during a public health crisis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility and identify limitations of a child-specific COVID-19 online forward triage tool (OFTT).
- To explore user experiences and gather insights for improving telehealth interventions for pediatric populations.
- To understand the importance of stakeholder involvement in the development and implementation of digital health tools.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study involving video interviews with 20 key informants, including parents, teachers, guardians, and doctors.
- Convenience and quota sampling were employed to ensure a diverse range of participants.
- Interview data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically to identify key trends and insights.
Main Results:
- Three primary themes emerged: the perceived usefulness of the OFTT, the significance of managing user expectations, and the critical role of stakeholder engagement.
- Users found the OFTT beneficial, but highlighted the need for clear communication regarding its capabilities and limitations.
- The importance of involving all stakeholders, from end-users to healthcare providers, in the development process was consistently emphasized.
Conclusions:
- Developing effective pediatric COVID-19 OFTT requires careful consideration of user needs and expectations.
- Active involvement of stakeholders, including parents, educators, and healthcare professionals, is essential for enhancing the utility and success of telehealth interventions.
- Lessons learned from this study can inform the design and implementation of future digital health tools for children's healthcare.
Background:
To offset the burden on the health system, hospitals set up telehealth interventions, such as online forward triage tools (OFTT). The website www.coronabambini.ch was developed to specifically address the needs of children and their families in Switzerland and to facilitate the decision to test, isolate, attend school, or access the health care system.
Methods:
Video interviews were held with key informants (n = 20) from a population of parents, teachers, guardians, as well as doctors who had used the child-specific COVID-19 OFTT and had consented to a further study. Convenience and quota sampling were done to include a variety of key informants. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed for themes.
Results:
Three main themes emerged: i) the usefulness of the OFTT to the users, ii) expectation management and importance of stakeholder involvement in OFTT development, and iii) OFTT limitations.
Conclusion:
Our study highlights opportunities, limitations, and lessons to consider when developing a pediatric COVID-19 OFTT. The involvement of stakeholders, parents, teachers, and health care providers in the design, set up, implementation, and evaluation of telehealth interventions is critical as this can help with expectation management and enhance OFTT utility.
