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Evaluation of the effectiveness of a smartphone-based educational intervention on the outcomes of children's burns: A
Parissa Bagheri Toolaroud1,2, Ehsan Nabovati1,2, Hossein Akbari3
1Health Information Management Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
Insights
A mobile app improved scar recovery and caregiver satisfaction for children with severe burns. This digital tool enhanced treatment outcomes and reduced clinic visits, showing promise for pediatric burn care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Burn Care
- Digital Health Interventions
- Public Health
Background:
- Children's severe burns present significant physical, psychological, social, and financial challenges.
- Effective management strategies are crucial to mitigate long-term impacts and improve patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a smartphone-based educational program for children with severe burns.
- To assess the impact of a mobile application on scar recovery, caregiver satisfaction, and hospital readmissions.
Main Methods:
- A double-blinded, randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 93 pediatric burn patients.
- Intervention group used an Android-based mobile application for 2 months, alongside standard care.
- Control group received only standard self-care training.
Main Results:
- The mobile application significantly reduced patient visits to the burn clinic (p<0.05).
- Caregiver satisfaction with the treatment process significantly increased (p<0.05).
- Application usage duration strongly correlated with improved wound healing status (p<0.001).
Conclusions:
- Smartphone-based educational programs are effective tools for optimizing the care of children with severe burns.
- Digital interventions can enhance patient outcomes, caregiver satisfaction, and adherence to treatment.
- Further research is needed to explore long-term effects and broader healthcare applications.
Abstract:
Children's burns are a major public health concern due to their long-term physical, psychological, and social impacts, as well as their high financial burden. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a smartphone-based educational program on outcomes of children with severe burns. This study was designed as a double-blinded, randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the effectiveness of a developed mobile application. A total of 93 participants were included in the final analysis. The participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control groups. Participants in both groups received usual self-care training at discharge, but those in the intervention group used an Android-based application for 2 months. The primary goal of the burn application was scar recovery, and the secondary goals were to increase child caregivers' satisfaction rate and decrease unplanned hospital readmissions. Data collection was conducted using valid and reliable questionnaires. Data were analysed using SPSS software. The study showed that the mobile application significantly affected the frequency of patient visits to the burn clinic and the satisfaction of caregivers of children with burns with the treatment process (p-value <0.05). Also, there was a significant relationship between the duration of application use and wound healing status ((p-value <0.001). These findings suggest that smartphone-based educational programs can be valuable for optimizing care for children with severe burns. Further research is warranted to explore the long-term impact of this intervention and its potential application in different healthcare settings.
