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Trial Lecture – time and place
See Trial Lecture.
Adjudication committee
- First opponent: Professor Ewa-Lena Bratt, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
- Second opponent: Professor Marie Hamilton Larsen, Lovisenberg diakonale høgskole, Norway
- Third member and chair of the evaluation committee: Professor Trond Melbye Michelsen, University of Oslo
Chair of the Defence
Professor II Runar Almaas, University of Oslo
Principal Supervisor
Professor Henrik Holmstrøm, University of Oslo
Summary
Congenital heart defects (CHDs) affect around 1% of newborns and approximately 25 % are severe. Many infants with severe CHDs are discharged from hospital while awaiting surgery or further treatment. Recognizing early signs of deterioration can be challenging for parents. To support families during this vulnerable period, Oslo University Hospital has developed the Heart Observation App (HOBS). The app aims to improve the discharge process, provide accessible and individualized information, and offer decision support at home.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, usability, and usefulness of HOBS, as well as its impact on parental stress.
Initially, feasibility and usability were explored through semi-structured interviews with nine families and their healthcare providers. This was followed by a pragmatic controlled trial comparing HOBS with traditional written information.
comparing HOBS with traditional written information. In the feasibility study, parents rated HOBS as having very good system usability, both at discharge and one month later. These were the four key findings:
- The time of guidance to parents should be individualized.
- HOBS gave parents a sense of control and confidence in recognizing symptoms.
- App usage should be tailored to the child’s condition.
- HOBS supported Healthcare professionals in clinical practic
In the controlled trial, 80 families participated. A questionnaire showed that mothers using HOBS found it significantly more useful than written material, both during discharge and at home (mean 23.9 vs. 17, p<.001). Stress levels were slightly lower in the HOBS group, though not significantly.
In summary, HOBS has shown good system usability, been accepted, and proven useful for parents in the transition from hospital to home care. Although HOBS focusses more on deterioration than traditional methods, it did not increase parents’ levels of stress.
Additional information
Contact the research support staff.