Improve access and utilisation of existing primary health, mental health, and social services through digital eHub for children aged 0 - 12 years Other
Conditions
Interventions
This is a multi-site mixed methods evaluation utilising a population and a prospective cohort sample. This approach will assist in understanding the general access and use of the eHub by caregivers, w
Sponsors
Murdoch Children's Research Institute
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 80 Years
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: Caregivers: 1. Parents or primary caregivers with at least one child aged 0-12 years 2. Only one primary caregiver per family unit can enrol in the evaluation study 3. Live in Marrickville, Fairfield in NSW, or Wyndham Vale in Victoria 4. Can speak sufficient English to participate in the study 5. Provide informed consent Inter-sectoral service providers and government policymakers: 1. Adults aged 18 years or older 2. For health service providers: Work within the area of Marrickville, Fairfield or Wyndham Vale in health, or social service located at the Marrickville Community Health Service, Karitane in Fairfield or IPC Community Health Service in Victoria 3. For government policymakers: Work within local, state or federal government as policy decision-makers 4. Provide verbal informed consent
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: Caregivers: Caregivers with their youngest child over the age of 12 years
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Primary outcome objectives: eHub implementation 1. eHub access: 1.1. Reach: the proportion of caregivers within each site that access the eHub, measured using eHub meta-data: site visits. Numerator: number of evaluation cohort participants and population cohort accessing the eHub / denominator: number of families (1 and 2 parents) that have children under 15 years in each site. Measured continuously throughout the evaluation. 1.2. Coverage (is the eHub reaching the intended audience of vulnerable/in-need families?), measured using eHub meta-data: site visits at each tier. Those families accessing the eHub at each the site who are vulnerable (demographic characteristics of caregivers that access the eHub, including postcode to link SEIFA, parents' place of birth compared with caregiver data from ABS), measured continuously throughout the evaluation. 2. eHub use: caregiver/user rated: 2.1. eHub engagement (are families engaging with the eHub?), measured using eHub meta-data via Google Analytics: do caregivers passively use the eHub (page hits, links opened to information and services within each tier of the eHub), and/or actively use the eHub(searches undertaken through tiers 2 and 3, and clicking through to tier 4 support), measured continuously throughout the evaluation. 2.2. eHub acceptability (do caregivers view the eHub as agreeable/satisfactory?), measured using eHub meta-data: pop-up surveys on satisfaction, did you find what you were looking for?/ was this useful? (thumbs up/down or smiley/sad face). Survey: satisfaction with content, delivery, level of support provided, credibility. Measured continuously throughout the evaluation. 2.3. eHub adoption: 2.3.1. To what extent can caregivers find and use information and services on the eHub, measured using survey and interview: 2.3.1.1. Did caregivers find information provided useful for their needs? 2.3.1.2. Were caregivers able to find an appropriate service or information to support their/their child’s needs? | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Secondary outcome objectives: Impact 1. Information and service access and use: 1.1. Service access and use (Did the eHub assist caregivers with finding and connecting with relevant services? If not, why?) measured using survey: 1.1.1. Services used in the last 4 months; number of times accessed 1.1.2. If not connected with services, why not (See CRE questions which consider wait lists, transport, cost etc) 1.1.3. If connected, was it helpful for your child? (See CRE questions) Measured at baseline and 6 months 1.2. Information access and use (Did caregivers find the information needed? If not, why? And whether accessing information changed the caregiver’s behaviour), measured using survey at baseline and 6 months 2. Caregiver mental health: 2.1. Caregiver distress (is eHub exposure associated with improvements in caregiver distress) measured using survey K10 at baseline and 6 months 2.2. Caregiver stress (is eHub exposure associated with reduced caregiver stress levels related to access to services and their child’s mental health, measured using survey: Likert scales of stress at baseline and 6 months 3. Child mental health: 3.1. Child mental health needs met (did the caregivers’ child have unmet mental health care needs, either they had seen a mental health service that did not fully meet their needs, or they had not seen a service but needed to), measured using a survey: Ride et al. survey of three questions on unmet child mental health needs at baseline and 6 months 3.2. Child mental health symptoms (did families’ eHub exposure improve parent-reported child mental health symptoms), measured using caregiver-reported child mental health outcomes: Survey of Well-being of Young Children (SWYC) for children aged 2 months to 2 years and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for children aged 2 to 12 years at baseline and 6 months | — |
Countries
Australia
Contacts
Public ContactLisa Minton
Outcome results
None listed