Development of video tutorials to help parents manage children with acute illnesses using a modified Delphi method

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Health Communication
• Medical Education

Background:

• Children frequently experience illnesses, causing parental distress.
• Online pediatric health information is often complex and difficult for parents to understand.
• There is a need for accessible and reliable resources on common childhood ailments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create simple, informative video tutorials detailing symptoms presented by sick children.
• To improve parental understanding and management of common pediatric health concerns.

Main Methods:

• A modified Delphi method was employed to develop video content on key childhood symptoms.
• Expert consensus was reached on symptom information and out-of-hospital management strategies.
• Video tutorials were refined through expert review and parent focus group feedback.

Main Results:

• Video tutorials were successfully produced for common symptoms including fever, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, breathing difficulties, sore throat, red eyes, earache, and rash.
• Expert panels achieved consensus on the content for 83% of statements reviewed.
• Parent focus groups found the videos to be informative, easy to comprehend, and reassuring.

Conclusions:

• The modified Delphi method effectively produced accessible video tutorials on common pediatric symptoms.
• Parental feedback indicates the videos are a valuable tool for understanding and managing childhood illnesses.