Pediatric Mobile Screening App

ABSTRACT Early detection of mentalemotionaland behavioral disorders is vital to prevent ongoing impairment and provide effective treatment servicesPediatricians report the need for standardizedeasily deployedaccessibleand automatically scored mobile screening measures for completion by parents in waiting rooms prior to commencing office visits in pediatric primary care settingsConsistent use of developmentally appropriatepsychometrically strong screening questionnaires can improve rates of early detection and access to services which has important public health implications for children s overall health and well beingCurrentlythere are no mobile software applications containing screening questionnaires that can be accessed on multiple platforms by parents in a pediatrician s waiting room where the results can be immediately and automatically provided to pediatricians for use during the office visitThe proposed App and website are designed to fill that gap in software servicesThis application was designed in response to the PHSOmnibus Solicitation for SBIR STTR Grant Applications requested by CDC s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental DisabilitiesNCBDDDto create aTechnology Assisted In Office Screening for MentalEmotional and Behavioral Disorders in Pediatric PracticesThe aim of the project is to develop and determine the feasibility of an innovative mobile applicationAppand website that can be used by parentsoffice staffand pediatricians during pediatric office visits to screen for mentalemotionaland behavior disordersThe software system will be designed based upon consultation with end users to be able to include a library of reliable and valid parent report screening questionnaires accessible on tablets and smartphones that can be completed in a pediatrician s waiting roomItem responses will be immediately transmitted to the web applicationwhere they will be automatically scored so that the results will be accessible when needed by the pediatrician during the same office visitIn Phase Ithe software application system will be developed with input from experts in the areas of pediatricsneuropsychologychild clinical psychologyand child developmentInterviews will first be conducted with pediatriciansoffice staffand parents to learn more about the typical workflow during pediatric office visits and communication patterns between providers and families as well as gain input on the desired functionality and usability of the App and websiteOnce the prototype has been developedparentsoffice staffand pediatricians will participate in separate One to One Evaluation Studies to examine the usability of the App and websiteAfter any software errors or usability problems are addressed that were identified during the usability studiesa Feasibility Study will be conducted in pediatric offices to pilot the full functionality of the App during actual office visits with familiesPhysiciansNthree parents per physicianNand office staffNwill be recruited to participatePhysicians and office staff will be interviewed and parents will complete questionnaires about their satisfaction and engagement with the App and websiteA primary goal of Phase II will be to expand the functionality of the Appdashboardand reporting features based upon input from parentspediatriciansand office staffas well as from feedback on the usability and functionality of the prototype from the research studies NARRATIVE The health and well being of children and adolescents is of upmost importance and a central goal in the field of pediatricsThe clinical services and treatment provided to youth can be enhanced by early and accurate detection and diagnosis of childhood disordersAn inability to identifydiagnoseand effectively treat mentalemotionaland behavioral disorders has many negative implications for children s growth and developmentA need exists for easily deployedcompletedand scored screening measures that can be used to gather information from parents in a standardized fashion that can be reviewed by pediatricians on demand during office visits to provide the best possible care to youthCurrentlythere are no mobile applications containing psychometrically strong measures that screen for disorders in children and adolescentsThusthe purpose of this project is to develop and evaluate the usability and functionality of both a mobile App containing standardized screening measures that can be completed by parents or guardians during office visits as well as an accompanying website for scheduling screenings by office staff and viewing scored results on demand by pediatricians