Evaluation of a new personalized health dashboard in preventive child health care: Protocol for a mixed methods feasibility randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background: A new dashboard, the 360°CHILD-profile, was developed to adopt personalized health care within preventive child health care. On this profile, holistic health data are visualized in a single image to provide parents, adolescents, and caregivers direct access to a manageable résumé of a child's medical record. Theoretical ordering, conforming to "International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health for Children and Youth", guides clinical reasoning toward the biopsychosocial concept of health. It is yet unknown if and how this promising tool functions in practice, and a variety of feasibility questions must be addressed. Objective: This paper describes the design and methods of a feasibility randomized controlled trial (RCT), with the aim of evaluating the RCT's feasibility (recruitment, response, measure completion, and intervention allocation) and 360°CHILD-profile's feasibility (usability and potential effectiveness). Methods: A pragmatic mixed methods study design was chosen, starting with an RCT to measure feasibility and health literacy in 2 parallel groups (1:1). Qualitative research will then be used to understand and explain quantitative findings and to explore the stakeholders' perspectives on the potential of the 360°CHILD-profile. Participants will include child health care professionals (n≥30), parents (n≥30), and caregivers (n≥10) of children who experience developmental problems (age 0-16 years). Children will only be able to participate if they are older than 11 years (adolescents, n≥10). The 2 groups included in the study will receive standard care. The experimental group will additionally receive personalized 360°CHILD-profiles. Results: After an intervention period of 6 months, quantitative outcomes will be measured, analyzed (descriptive feasibility statistics and preliminary between-group differences) and used to purposively sample for semistructured interviews. Conclusions: Study results will provide knowledge for building theory on the 360°CHILD-profile and designing future (effect) studies.