NCT06375369

Digital Health Pathway for Children With Medical Complexity Requiring Tracheostomy

Adoption and Enhancement of a Care Pathway for Children With Medical Complexity: an Implementation Evaluation Project for Tracheostomy in Pediatrics

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 180 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Alberta · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The DECIDE-T project is developing a standardized clinical pathway specifically for pediatric patients who require tracheostomy with or without long-term ventilation (tracheostomy/LTV). These patients represent a small portion of Alberta's population but account for over 50% of pediatric patients hospitalized for more than 180 days. The pathway will include a hospital-to-home directive that incorporates digital health solutions to provide support to families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. Digital supports will include a Connect Care pathway, resources for informed decision-making, educational modules, high-fidelity simulations for family and caregiver education, an online parental resource center, and access to peer support within the hospital and community, as well as a post-discharge telehealth program. The goal of the DECIDE-T project is to reduce hospital stays and associated costs for children requiring tracheostomy/LTV, as well as to decrease mental distress and burnout experienced by their caregivers and families.

Detailed description

BACKGROUND: Medical advances have resulted in more children surviving critical illness and then living with medical complexity. Children discharged after critical illness with a tracheostomy-a surgical opening created through the neck to form an artificial airway that can be used for mechanical ventilation-are an example of this medically complex, technologically-dependent patient population. In Alberta, care for these children is centralized at the Stollery and Alberta Children's Hospitals. Fewer than 40 tracheostomized patients/year account for \>50% of pediatric patients hospitalized for over 180 days and average $484.660/patient/year-more than 30% of Alberta's annual pediatric acute care budget. These tertiary centers, however, lack a provincial standardized tracheostomy care pathway and, based on current guidelines, have substantial variations in practice, program inefficiencies, and barriers to care. This causes: 1) compromised health and disease burden for patients; 2) inconsistent and poorly informed decision-making; 3) increased stay in intensive care and hospital; 4) systemic inequities for certain subpopulations; and 5) substantial burdens for families-caregivers and healthcare providers (HCPs), causing burnout and long-lasting mental health complications. These factors result in a high cost for the health system and potential detriment to the care of other pediatric patients. DIGITAL SOLUTION: Investigators propose the adaptation, implementation, and assessment of a provincial Digital hEalth Pathway for ChIldren with MeDical ComplExity requiring Tracheostomy/LTV (DECIDE-T). The DECIDE-T model will comprise a hospital-to-home journey, education and peer support digital solutions and a telemedicine follow-up program to support families-caregivers and HCPs looking after tracheostomized children. PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Reduce hospital stay and costs by 40%; SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: decrease families-caregivers mental stress and HCPs moral distress using validated measures. APPROACHES: The key components of DECIDE-T will be defined using evidence-based guidelines and consultation with families-caregivers, HCPs, and other stakeholders. Scientific methods will be used to evaluate outcomes after implementation of DECIDE-T.

Conditions

• Tracheostomy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
PROCEDURE	Digital health pathway for children with medical complexity requiring tracheostomy (DECIDE-T)	The intervention involves developing a standardized clinical pathway for these children requiring tracheostomy. The pathway comprises of a hospital to home directive, incorporating digital health solutions to support family, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. These digital supports include but are not limited to a Connect Care pathway, resources to aid families to make informed choices during the clinical decision-making process, education modules and high-fidelity simulations to enhance family/caregiver education, an online parental resource center and access to peer support (spanning from hospital to community) and a telehealth post discharge program.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-09-01
• Primary completion: 2027-12-31
• Completion: 2027-12-31
• First posted: 2024-04-19
• Last updated: 2026-01-06

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: Canada