Cloud Care: A Feasibility Study of Cloud-Based Care Plans for Children With Medical Complexity

Cloud-based information systems can support team-based content management of care plans for children with medical complexity (CMC), yet we have limited knowledge of the feasibility of these systems. We aimed to examine the feasibility of Cloud Care, a novel cloud-based longitudinal care plan system, among a diverse group of caregivers and health care providers caring for CMC.

We conducted a 3-year, prospective, feasibility study between May 2019 and July 2022 in which caregivers and health care providers of CMC received access to Cloud Care for 4 to 32 months. We assessed the practicality, acceptability, demand, integration, and adaptation of the system using a combination of web analytics and survey data.

Of those invited, 29 of 43 (67%) CMC/caregivers and 459 of 462 (99.5%) providers enrolled in the study. Among enrolled participants, 90% of primary caregivers and 47% of providers accessed the system at least once (ie, adoption rate), and 59% of primary caregivers and 11% of providers edited content at least once. Of the 11 caregivers and 42 providers who accessed Cloud Care and completed a survey, over 82% of caregivers and 45% of providers perceived the system was easy to use.

Study adoption rates highlight the desire for a curated, dynamic care plan for CMC. Engagement in collaborative management of care plan information in a cloud-based system was promising among caregivers, but low among providers. Optimizing the design, accessibility, and usability of existing information systems to create and collaboratively maintain care plans warrants continued exploration.