Health apps for children Deploying Digital Health in a safe, high quality and high efficacy way in the Paediatric field.
Main Article Content
Keywords
paediatric, digital, health, apps, children
Abstract
Research shows children and young people (CYP) engage with apps from as young as 1 years old. CYP often see the value of wearables and enjoy the educational experience of being proactively involved in their health education and management. Parents, carers and teachers are heavy influencers of digital health use, but adults themselves lack policies around digital health education, often focus on risks, and are less familiar with child-led digital health education.
Health applications (apps) can create a space for children to learn about health, healthy lifestyles and preventative health measures: Providing personalised knowledge as their bodies and needs develop. CYP are growing up in a world where many health services are likely to have a so-called ‘digital front door’, with some health management strategies or results likely to be delivered on-line or virtually. Due to stretched resources, CYP may need to be able to self-manage mild health conditions and could be better prepared to transition to adult services where they are likely to need to manage their digital health records and safe sharing of their personal health information.
CYP have the ability to be the ‘Trojan horse’, introducing apps, wearables or digital health solutions to parents, carers or wider family members without digital literacy or experience. Paediatric apps and related health tech or wearables need to keep a child safe, connected, educated, empowered and healthy. Children should ideally access health apps that are appropriate for their age and support management of their health preventatively and proactively. Children are best not considered as ‘little adults’, despite many apps, available on worldwide app stores, widening the age range of adult health apps to include children. Children have specific health, cognitive, developmental and physiological needs which need to be reflected in the health apps and digital health solutions recommended by health care professionals.
This paper examines the considerations needed for designing, recommending, and using paediatric health apps.
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Karl Prince , Cambridge University
Karl is currently the Director of Knowledge Innovation at Cambridge Digital Innovation, Hughes Hall. At CDI he aims to advance research on digital innovation as well promote the translational impact of such research through knowledge hubs and education outreach programmes. His research interests include digital innovation particularly in regard to health care and fintech contexts, broader themes of innovation such as ecosystem development and leadership, and information systems. Karl has previous experience in industry and academic contexts, holding consulting and management positions in the Cambridge cluster and research positions at the University of Cambridge, Warwick Business School and Leeds Business School.
Jon Warner , University of Redlands in Business and Entrepreneurship
J Warner is Adjunct Professor, University of Redlands in Business and Entrepreneurship, US president of ORCHA, and national science foundation I-Corps mentor.