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Feasibility and Acceptability of a Self-Guided Digital Family Skills Management Intervention for Children Newly
Amy Hughes Lansing1, Laura B Cohen1, Nicole S Glaser2
1Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States.
Insights
A digital family skills program for type 1 diabetes (T1D) is feasible and acceptable for newly diagnosed children. This intervention supports caregivers in managing T1D, showing promising results for family adjustment and care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Digital Health Interventions
- Family Systems
Background:
- Family dynamics significantly impact glycemic control in children with type 1 diabetes (T1D).
- The period post-T1D diagnosis is highly stressful for families, necessitating supportive interventions.
- Self-guided digital programs offer a scalable approach to equip caregivers with T1D management skills.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a self-guided, web-based family skills management program for families of children newly diagnosed with T1D.
- To test if the program, focusing on caregiver support and family communication, improves T1D management.
- To assess caregiver engagement and feedback on the digital intervention.
Main Methods:
- A prospective evaluation of 37 children newly diagnosed with T1D and their parents.
- Parents completed web-based modules on social support, problem-solving, communication, and behavior change.
- Module completion rates and qualitative feedback were analyzed, with comparisons based on coparenting status.
Main Results:
- 84% of parents initiated the program, with 48% completing all modules.
- Higher completion rates were observed when coparenting partners participated together (P=.04).
- Qualitative feedback indicated high acceptability, with families reporting positive impacts and requesting continued access.
Conclusions:
- A self-guided digital family support intervention is feasible and acceptable for families at the time of a child's T1D diagnosis.
- Participation and completion rates are comparable to other digital health interventions.
- Digital family management programs can reduce costs, improve access, and offer flexibility for T1D care.
Background:
Family dynamics play an important role in determining the glycemic outcomes of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in children. The time interval immediately following T1D diagnosis is particularly stressful for families, and interventions to support families in adjusting their family practices to support adjustment to and management of T1D in the months following diagnosis may improve glycemic outcomes. Self-guided digital interventions offer a sustainable model for interventions to support caregivers in learning evidence-based family management skills for adjustment to and management of T1D.
Objective:
We hypothesized that a self-guided, web-based, family skills management program (addressing caregiver social support as well as family problem-solving, communication, and supportive behavior change strategies) initiated at the time of T1D diagnosis would improve glycemic outcomes in children with T1D. In this study, we report on the feasibility and acceptability of this program.
Methods:
We prospectively evaluated a sample of 37 children newly diagnosed with T1D recruited from a pediatric endocrinology clinic. Parent participants were asked to complete web-based modules addressing social support, family problem-solving, communication, and supportive behavior change strategies. Module completion was analyzed for percentage completion, patterns of completion, and differences in completion rates by coparenting status. Qualitative open-ended feedback was collected at the completion of each module.
Results:
A total of 31 (84%) of the 37 participants initiated the web-based program. Of those 31 participants, 25 (81%) completed some content and 15 (48%) completed all 5 modules. Completion rates were higher when coparenting partners engaged in the intervention together (P=.04). Of the 18 participants given a choice about the spacing of content delivery, 15 (83%) chose to have all sessions delivered at once and 3 (17%) chose to space sessions out at 2-week intervals. Qualitative feedback supported the acceptability of the program for delivery soon after T1D diagnosis. Families reported on positive benefits, including requesting future access to the program and describing helpful changes in personal or family processes for managing T1D.
Conclusions:
In this study, we found that a self-guided digital family support intervention initiated at the time of a child's T1D diagnosis was largely feasible and acceptable. Overall, rates of participation and module completion were similar to or higher than other self-guided digital prevention interventions for mental and physical health outcomes. Self-guided digital programs addressing family management skills may help prevent challenges common with T1D management and can decrease cost, increase access, and add flexibility compared to traditional interventions.
Trial Registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03720912; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03720912.
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