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Impact of Playful Visual Feedback Coaching on Mechanical In-Exsufflation Learning in Children: A Randomized Trial
Nicolas Audag1,2,3,4, Pierre-Alexandre Chartier4, Marius Lebret5,6
1Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Pôle de Pneumologie, ORL (Airways) & Dermatologie (Skin), Groupe Recherche en Kinésithérapie Respiratoire, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
A new coaching module with playful visual feedback significantly speeds up initial learning of mechanical insufflation-exsufflation (MI-E) in children. This approach shows promise for early airway clearance training.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric respiratory care
- Medical device usability
- Educational technology in healthcare
Background:
- Mechanical insufflation-exsufflation (MI-E) is a key airway clearance technique for children.
- A novel coaching module with playful visual feedback exists, but its effectiveness in improving learning speed is unproven.
- Understanding how to optimize MI-E learning in pediatric patients is crucial for effective treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate if a new coaching module, combined with standard physiotherapist guidance, enhances the learning speed of MI-E in children.
- To compare the learning efficacy of MI-E using the coaching module versus traditional guidance alone.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial was conducted with healthy children aged 6-10 years naive to MI-E.
- Participants were assigned to either a coaching group (module + physiotherapist) or a control group (physiotherapist only).
- Learning was assessed by the number of sets to achieve success and visual analog scales (VAS) for playfulness and ease of learning over two sessions.
Main Results:
- The coaching group achieved success in significantly fewer sets during the first session (2.3 vs 4.1, p=0.01).
- No significant difference in learning speed was observed in the second session.
- There were no significant differences in perceived playfulness or ease of learning (VAS scores) between the groups.
Conclusions:
- Playful visual feedback via the coaching module can accelerate the initial learning phase of MI-E in children.
- This technology presents a promising strategy for early intervention and training in pediatric airway clearance.
- Further studies are warranted to explore long-term benefits and feasibility of home-based MI-E training.
