Is a messenger-like tool for shared digital communication feasible and acceptable among caregivers of children with physical disabilities & professionals across sectors?
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Introduction Caregivers of children with physical disabilities interact daily with multiple professionals across health, social, and educational systems, making effective communication essential for coordinated, high-quality care. Yet, fragmented communication, inconsistent documentation, and structural differences between sectors often result in caregivers assuming the role of “semi-professional coordinators” of their child’s care, which adds to the substantial caregiver burden they already experience. While initiatives such as care coordinators, disability advisors, and multidisciplinary teams have been introduced, these are often inconsistently implemented and rarely involve caregivers directly in interdisciplinary communication. Secure digital communication solutions have shown potential in healthcare, but existing systems are limited to specific sectors and professions. A scalable model enabling cross-sector communication is still lacking, despite the dynamic and long-term support needs of families. The SHARE IT project was established to address this gap. Aim This study explores the feasibility and acceptability of a messenger-like tool for shared digital communication between caregivers of children with physical disabilities and professionals across health, social and educational systems. Methods A convergent mixed-methods study design is used, gathering both quantitative and qualitative data and integrating them in joint displays to enhance interpretation, transparency, and richness of findings. Approximately 20 children with physical disabilities, their caregivers, and involved professionals are purposefully recruited via Aalborg University Hospital, municipalities in the North Denmark Region and private organizations from June 1st,2025 and onwards. Caregivers and professionals are provided with access to the messenger-like tool for six months enabling direct, flexible cross-disciplinary and cross-sector communication when needed. Feasibility and acceptability are assessed through recruitment success, usage, adherence, and engagement rates, complemented by semi-structured interviews with caregivers and professionals exploring experiences with the tool, including perceived usefulness and ease of use. Interviews are conducted after six months of access. They are audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Braun & Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis. Message content and images exchanged via the messenger-like tool, as well as logs of any issues reported by participants or the coordinator, are also collected. Quantitative and qualitative findings will be merged and compared to assess alignment, contradictions, and meta-inferences, providing a comprehensive understanding of the acceptability and integration of the messenger-like tool, with joint displays used to illustrate results. Results At the time of abstract submission, caregivers of six children have been recruited; seven were contacted and one declined, preferring phone contact. Among participants, the tool is used according to protocol, with dialogues varying according to each child's needs. A case example (Figure 1) illustrates use across hospital, municipality, and private actors, providing direct access to closed-group dialogues for relevant tasks. Minor issues have been reported, including touch-screen setup, notifications, and vacation status. Larger needs were identified, such as a clear structure for coordinators and professionals managing multiple dialogues, suggesting that the messenger-like tool may benefit from further contextual adaptation. No interviews have been conducted yet. We expect recruitment to be complete at the conference, allowing additional results to be presented. Conclusion Conducting pilot studies to assess the feasibility and acceptability of an intervention is essential before progressing to an effectiveness study, as this may ensure recruitment processes and the collection of meaningful evidence. This study will provide novel insights into the use of a messenger-like tool for cross-disciplinary and cross-sector communication in a complex setting of children with physical disabilities. The results will be used to modify the messenger-like tool, which will subsequently be tested in a large-scale effectiveness study. References Visit the project’s website: https://shareitproject.dk/
Institutions: Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg University
Language: English
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7140966860
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