Interactive Tool for Flexible Developmental Assessment in Youth Health Care

In preventive Youth Health Care (YHC), professionals increasingly need flexible, data-driven tools to monitor child development in a personalized way. The Dutch Developmental Instrument (DDI) screens at fixed ages, limiting adaptability and parental engagement. We developed the DDI-Continuous (DDI-C), a digital tool that integrates developmental data for individualized monitoring. Using published D-score calibrations and Dutch reference curves, percentile ages were computed for all 75 DDI milestones and visualized in an interactive interface. This interface enables selection of milestones that are easy, average, or challenging for a given age, matching a child's developmental level, rather than focusing solely on delay. The prototype was iteratively refined through three pilot cycles (Plan-Do-Check-Act). Pilot evaluations indicated high usability, deeper insight, and clinical relevance. By operationalizing developmental data in an accessible format, DDI-C provides decision support and fosters meaningful conversations with parents, contributing to more personalized and engaging preventive YHC.