This research project aims to design and develop an intervention to promote social interactions utilising a virtual facilitator among socially isolated adolescents in hospitals or at home with significant illnesses. To achieve this goal, we will conduct a co-design process to develop the digital intervention, which will be evaluated with the target group of adolescents to investigate its impact on social interactions. The project has three specific goals, which are;
Goal 1: To identify the most significantly negatively impacted social interactions for adolescents with significant illnesses during prolonged hospital stays and isolation periods at home (home-bounded period).
Goal 2: To design and develop an intervention that addresses the identified challenges and provides a medium for social interaction among the target adolescent group (i.e., adolescents experiencing social isolation due to serious illnesses such as cancer.)
Goal 3: To evaluate the usability, acceptability, accessibility, and experience with the designed intervention among the target adolescent group.
Our research involves a series of studies with a clear purpose. Firstly, we conducted a thorough review of existing literature to gather information. Then as the first participant study, we surveyed and interviewed healthcare professionals who have experience working with adolescents facing prolonged hospitalisation or home isolation due to significant illnesses. We wanted to understand their insights and perspectives. Next, we are entering the second participant study where we are currently at. This phase focuses on co-design sessions with the target adolescent group, their parents/ guardians and care professionals who have experience working with adolescents' psychosocial wellbeing. We will conduct separate evaluation studies with the target adolescent group in the next phase. Once we reach the evaluation phase, we will share more details about it. Keep an eye on our website for updates and additional information as we progress through the study. Please refer to the following section to learn more about our co-design study.
Co-design study
Co-design will be carried out by collaborating with key stakeholders, including adolescents aged 13-16 who are hospitalised/ or home isolated with serious illnesses, their parents/ caregivers, and care professionals. Through this approach, we seek to tailor the intervention to the specific needs and preferences of the target population, ultimately increasing its effectiveness and acceptability.
Our recruitment approach for adolescents consists of three tiers. In Tier 1, we focus on reaching out to hospitalised adolescents experiencing an extended period impacting their social activities. For Tier 2, we target adolescents undergoing an isolation period at home, without being hospitalised, but facing similar challenges. Tier 1 and Tier 2 recruitment efforts will primarily occur within local New Zealand inpatient or outpatient settings. In Tier 3, we expand our reach by including relevant social media groups, broadening our participant pool.
The co-design process involves a series of iterative steps, although we aim to minimise the number of iterations to reduce the burden on the participants. Initially, we expect to carry out five (5) iterations per adolescent and 2-3 sessions with the care professionals. We expect to recruit 5-8 adolescents and their parent/caregiver and two (2) care professionals with experience with the target group of adolescents for the co-design study sessions. At the beginning of the co-design process, we will conduct a short interview study with the target group of adolescents and their parents/ caregivers to understand the social experience during the hospitalisation/ isolation period at home and identify the needs around social interactions.
