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Feasibility, Adherence, Acceptance and Usability of a Multimodal Telemonitoring for Pediatric Post-COVID Syndrome: A
Zoe S Oftring1,2,3, Jeremy Schmidt4, Julia Greenfield5
1Institute for Digital Medicine, Philipps University Marburg and University Clinic Giessen & Marburg, Marburg, 35042, Germany. zoe.oftring@uni-marburg.de.
Insights
This study shows a new telemonitoring system for pediatric Post-COVID Syndrome (pPCS) is feasible and well-accepted. The approach improved symptom management and care continuity for young patients with pPCS.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric healthcare innovation
- Digital health solutions
- Post-infectious syndromes research
Background:
- Pediatric Post-COVID Syndrome (pPCS) presents complex care challenges unmet by current healthcare infrastructure.
- Telemonitoring offers a promising solution to improve access, reduce patient burden, and ensure continuity of care for pPCS patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and evaluate a novel, multimodal telemonitoring concept for pediatric Post-COVID Syndrome (pPCS).
- To assess the feasibility, adherence, acceptance, and usability of this telemonitoring system in a real-world clinical setting.
Main Methods:
- A multimodal telemonitoring system including a patient app, digital sensors (spirometer, smartwatch), Patient Reported Outcome Measures, and video consultations was implemented.
- 30 patients (12-17 years) with diagnosed pPCS were monitored for three months from two university clinics.
- Feasibility, adherence, acceptance, and usability were evaluated using monitoring data, surveys, and standardized usability scales (SUS, TUI).
Main Results:
- High adherence was observed, with patients completing an average of 3.4 to 4.6 measurements weekly.
- The System Usability Scale (SUS) scores indicated very high usability for both patients (81.25/100) and parents (75.42/100).
- Telemonitoring effectively supported symptom management, despite occasional technical challenges with sensor connectivity.
Conclusions:
- This study demonstrates the first successful integration of telemonitoring in pPCS care, showing high adherence and positive stakeholder feedback.
- The developed telemonitoring concept shows significant potential for broader implementation in hybrid care models for pPCS and other post-infectious conditions.
- Despite minor technical issues and resource requirements, the system offers a promising avenue for enhancing pediatric chronic and post-infectious condition management.
Abstract:
Existing healthcare infrastructure struggles to meet the complex care required for pediatric Post-COVID Syndrome (pPCS). Telemonitoring offers potential to enhance care access, reduce patient burden, and ensure continuity. This study introduces and evaluates a novel, multimodal telemonitoring concept for pPCS with high translational potential for broader pediatric chronic and post-infectious conditions. Telemonitoring included a patient app, digital sensors (spirometer, smartwatch), Patient Reported Outcome Measures, chat/video consultations (VC), and a medical telemonitoring platform. Patients aged 12-17 years with diagnosed PCS were recruited from two pPCS outpatient university clinics in Bielefeld and Munich, Germany. Monitoring lasted three months. Evaluation focused on feasibility, adherence, acceptance, and usability, using monitoring data, the System Usability Scale (SUS), Technology Usage Inventory (TUI), and a custom survey completed by patients and parents. 30 patients (mean age: 15y ± 1.9; 57% female (17/30); mean Baseline Bell-Score: 36.4) and 30 parents participated. Adherence was high, with an average of 3.4 (smartwatch) to 4.6 (spirometry) measurements/week. Questionnaire response rate was 86% (411/480) and 97% (58/60) of VCs were conducted. SUS scores indicated very high usability (patients: 81.25/100; parents: 75.42/100). TUI results showed low skepticism, and high interest. Telemonitoring supported symptom management independent of in-person visits, despite sensor connectivity issues. This is the first study to demonstrate successful integration of telemonitoring in pPCS, with high adherence and positive feedback from all stakeholders supporting its potential. Despite occasional technical challenges and resource needs, this concept shows promise for broader hybrid telemonitoring care implementation in PCS and other post-infectious syndromes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS), trial registration number: DRKS00029354. Registered 07 February 2023 - Retrospectively registered https://drks.de/search/en/trial/DRKS00029354/entails.