Digital Homework Support Program for Children and Adolescents With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Protocol...

Area of Science:

• Digital health interventions
• Child and adolescent psychiatry
• Neurodevelopmental disorders

Background:

• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) impacts 4-5% of the population, often causing homework-related conflicts and stress for families.
• Children with ADHD face significant homework challenges, impacting academic performance and family quality of life.
• Traditional interventions are resource-intensive; digital solutions like smartphone apps offer a promising alternative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of the PANDAH (Programme d'Aide Numérique aux Devoirs pour Enfant avec TDA-H) digital homework support program.
• To evaluate PANDAH's impact on homework performance and overall family quality of life in children and adolescents with ADHD.

Main Methods:

• A multicenter randomized controlled trial involving 9 French ADHD reference centers.
• Participants (9-16 years, ADHD diagnosis, no comorbidities) are randomized into two groups: standard care or PANDAH app.
• Assessments at baseline, 3, and 6 months, with the primary endpoint being the Homework Performance Questionnaire (HPQ) score at 6 months. Intent-to-treat analysis will be employed.

Main Results:

• Recruitment initiated in January 2024; the trial is currently ongoing.
• Hypothesized outcomes include improved HPQ scores for app users compared to controls within 3 months.
• Further improvements are expected with 6 months of app usage, with adherence measured via in-app metrics.

Conclusions:

• The PANDAH app represents a contribution to the digital transformation in healthcare, specifically for ADHD management.
• Smartphone applications offer a scalable approach to self-care and self-management in psychiatry.
• Academic evaluation of digital tools like PANDAH is crucial, given the industry-driven market for health apps.