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. 2024 Feb 16:8:e52337.
doi: 10.2196/52337.

An Intelligent Customer-Driven Digital Solution to Improve Perioperative Health Outcomes Among Children Undergoing Circumcision and Their Parents: Development and Evaluation

Zhi Yin Kwa  1   2 , Jinqiu Li  3   4 , Dale Lincoln Loh  2   5 , Yang Yang Lee  2   5 , Guangyu Liu  6 , Lixia Zhu  7 , Minna Pikkarainen  8   9 , Honggu He  2   4 , Vidyadhar Padmakar Mali  2   5
Affiliations

An Intelligent Customer-Driven Digital Solution to Improve Perioperative Health Outcomes Among Children Undergoing Circumcision and Their Parents: Development and Evaluation

Zhi Yin Kwa et al. JMIR Form Res. .

Abstract

Background: Circumcision as a common elective pediatric surgery worldwide is a stressful and anxiety-inducing experience for parents and children. Although current perioperative interventions proved effective, such as reducing preoperative anxiety, there are limited holistic solutions using mobile apps.

Objective: This paper aims to describe the development and primary evaluation of an intelligent customer-driven smartphone-based app program (ICory-Circumcision) to enhance health outcomes among children undergoing circumcision and their family caregivers.

Methods: Based on the review of the literature and previous studies, Bandura's self-efficacy theory was adopted as the conceptual framework. A multidisciplinary team was built to identify the content and develop the apps. Semistructured interviews were conducted to evaluate the ICory-Circumcision.

Results: The ICory-Circumcision study was carried out from March 2019 to January 2020 and comprised 2 mobile apps, BuddyCare app and Triumf Health mobile game app. The former provides a day-by-day perioperative guide for parents whose children are undergoing circumcision, while the latter provides emotional support and distraction to children. In total, 6 participants were recruited to use the apps and interviewed to evaluate the program. In total, 4 main categories and 10 subcategories were generated from content analysis.

Conclusions: ICory-Circumcision seemed to lean toward being useful. Revisions to ICory-Circumcision are necessary to enhance its contents and features before advancing to the randomized controlled trial.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04174404; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04174404.

Keywords: anxiety; app; apps; child; children; circumcision; content analysis; distraction; distractions; emotional; health outcome; health outcomes; interview; interviews; mobile health; mobile phone; pain; pediatric; pediatrics; perioperative; perioperative anxiety; postoperative; postoperative pain; recovery; self-efficacy; surgery; surgical.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Pediatric circumcision routine care. KTP-NUCMI: Khoo Teck Puat—National University Children’s Medical Institute; OT: operation theater.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Theoretical framework used for the study.
Figure 3
Figure 3
ICory-Circumcision components in relation to self-efficacy theory.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Screenshot of BuddyCare overview.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Screenshot of BuddyCare care for parents.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Screenshot of Triumf Health contents.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

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