Designing Digital Psychosocial Follow-up of Survivors of Childhood Critical Illness

Abstract

Hospitalization and intensive treatment procedures in childhood can increase the risk of long-term negative psychosocial consequences for survivors of childhood critical illness. This risk applies especially to the two congenital colorectal defects: Hirschsprung's disease and Anorectal malformations, identified as the target group. Based on research indicating that information technology could provide beneficial psychosocial outcomes to survivors of critical illness, this PhD project aims to explore designing solutions for digital psychosocial follow-up of survivors of childhood critical illness. The PhD project uses a design science research approach to investigate existing solutions and needs to design a specific solution for the target group. Furthermore, the findings from testing this solution will be used to create design principles regarding digital psychosocial follow-up of survivors of childhood critical illness in general.