Digital health intervention for children with ADHD to improve mental health intervention, patient experiences, and outcomes: a study protocol
Abstract Background Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most prevalent childhood psychiatric condition with profound public health, personal, and family consequences. ADHD requires comprehensive treatment; however, lack of communication and integration across multiple points of ca...
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BMC
2024-11-01
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| Series: | BMC Digital Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s44247-024-00134-4 |
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| author | Nancy Herrera Franceli L. Cibrian Lucas M. Silva Jesus Armando Beltran Sabrina E. B. Schuck Gillian R. Hayes Kimberley D. Lakes |
| author_facet | Nancy Herrera Franceli L. Cibrian Lucas M. Silva Jesus Armando Beltran Sabrina E. B. Schuck Gillian R. Hayes Kimberley D. Lakes |
| author_sort | Nancy Herrera |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most prevalent childhood psychiatric condition with profound public health, personal, and family consequences. ADHD requires comprehensive treatment; however, lack of communication and integration across multiple points of care is a substantial barrier to progress. Given the chronic and pervasive challenges associated with ADHD, innovative approaches are crucial. We developed the digital health intervention (DHI)—CoolTaCo [Cool Technology Assisting Co-regulation] to address these critical barriers. CoolTaCo uses Patient-Centered Digital Healthcare Technologies (PC-DHT) to promote co-regulation (child/parent), capture patient data, support efficient healthcare delivery, enhance patient engagement, and facilitate shared decision-making, thereby improving access to timely and targeted mental health intervention for children at significant risk for poor outcomes. The present paper will describe our planned protocol to evaluate the efficacy of CoolTaCo via randomized control trial (RCT). Methods/design We will recruit 60 children (ages 8–12) with ADHD who will be randomized to either immediate (n = 30) or delayed (n = 30) treatment (i.e., a waitlist control group). Among those randomized to immediate treatment, half will be assigned to DHI (delivered via a smartwatch and smartphone application), the other half to an active control treatment as usual (TAU). Unlike the DHI group, the TAU group will receive the smartwatch with no assigned activities, applications, or interventions on the devices. The intervention period will last 16 weeks; after a participant has been in the delayed treatment group for 16 weeks and has completed the post-waiting period assessment, they will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or active control group. Thus, 30 participants will complete the intervention, and 30 will complete the active control, with half of the total sample completing a waitlist period. Discussion Individuals with ADHD have complex needs. Despite improvement in outcomes following cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) and pharmaceutical treatment, long-term maintenance is a challenge often not addressed by traditional medical approaches, and, as we described, ineffective approaches to information sharing across points of care create further barriers to progress. Our research will fill a significant gap in translating early treatment investments and gains into long-term, sustainable outcomes. This study was registered as a clinic trial at ClinicalTrials.gov (Digital Health Intervention for Children With ADHD, ID# NCT06456372) on 06/13/2024. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9f4d5f26ec5441438456af1db44ea5bc |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2731-684X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Digital Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-9f4d5f26ec5441438456af1db44ea5bc2025-08-20T02:13:26ZengBMCBMC Digital Health2731-684X2024-11-01211910.1186/s44247-024-00134-4Digital health intervention for children with ADHD to improve mental health intervention, patient experiences, and outcomes: a study protocolNancy Herrera0Franceli L. Cibrian1Lucas M. Silva2Jesus Armando Beltran3Sabrina E. B. Schuck4Gillian R. Hayes5Kimberley D. Lakes6Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of California RiversideFowler School of Engineering, Chapman UniversityComputer Science Department, University of IowaDepartment of Computer Science, California State UniversityDepartment of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of CaliforniaDepartment of Informatics, Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Science, University of CaliforniaDepartment of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of California RiversideAbstract Background Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most prevalent childhood psychiatric condition with profound public health, personal, and family consequences. ADHD requires comprehensive treatment; however, lack of communication and integration across multiple points of care is a substantial barrier to progress. Given the chronic and pervasive challenges associated with ADHD, innovative approaches are crucial. We developed the digital health intervention (DHI)—CoolTaCo [Cool Technology Assisting Co-regulation] to address these critical barriers. CoolTaCo uses Patient-Centered Digital Healthcare Technologies (PC-DHT) to promote co-regulation (child/parent), capture patient data, support efficient healthcare delivery, enhance patient engagement, and facilitate shared decision-making, thereby improving access to timely and targeted mental health intervention for children at significant risk for poor outcomes. The present paper will describe our planned protocol to evaluate the efficacy of CoolTaCo via randomized control trial (RCT). Methods/design We will recruit 60 children (ages 8–12) with ADHD who will be randomized to either immediate (n = 30) or delayed (n = 30) treatment (i.e., a waitlist control group). Among those randomized to immediate treatment, half will be assigned to DHI (delivered via a smartwatch and smartphone application), the other half to an active control treatment as usual (TAU). Unlike the DHI group, the TAU group will receive the smartwatch with no assigned activities, applications, or interventions on the devices. The intervention period will last 16 weeks; after a participant has been in the delayed treatment group for 16 weeks and has completed the post-waiting period assessment, they will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or active control group. Thus, 30 participants will complete the intervention, and 30 will complete the active control, with half of the total sample completing a waitlist period. Discussion Individuals with ADHD have complex needs. Despite improvement in outcomes following cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) and pharmaceutical treatment, long-term maintenance is a challenge often not addressed by traditional medical approaches, and, as we described, ineffective approaches to information sharing across points of care create further barriers to progress. Our research will fill a significant gap in translating early treatment investments and gains into long-term, sustainable outcomes. This study was registered as a clinic trial at ClinicalTrials.gov (Digital Health Intervention for Children With ADHD, ID# NCT06456372) on 06/13/2024.https://doi.org/10.1186/s44247-024-00134-4ADHDProtocolDHIDigital health interventionChildrenFamilies |
| spellingShingle | Nancy Herrera Franceli L. Cibrian Lucas M. Silva Jesus Armando Beltran Sabrina E. B. Schuck Gillian R. Hayes Kimberley D. Lakes Digital health intervention for children with ADHD to improve mental health intervention, patient experiences, and outcomes: a study protocol BMC Digital Health ADHD Protocol DHI Digital health intervention Children Families |
| title | Digital health intervention for children with ADHD to improve mental health intervention, patient experiences, and outcomes: a study protocol |
| title_full | Digital health intervention for children with ADHD to improve mental health intervention, patient experiences, and outcomes: a study protocol |
| title_fullStr | Digital health intervention for children with ADHD to improve mental health intervention, patient experiences, and outcomes: a study protocol |
| title_full_unstemmed | Digital health intervention for children with ADHD to improve mental health intervention, patient experiences, and outcomes: a study protocol |
| title_short | Digital health intervention for children with ADHD to improve mental health intervention, patient experiences, and outcomes: a study protocol |
| title_sort | digital health intervention for children with adhd to improve mental health intervention patient experiences and outcomes a study protocol |
| topic | ADHD Protocol DHI Digital health intervention Children Families |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s44247-024-00134-4 |
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