Anaphylaxis, or anaphylactic reactions, are a severe allergic reaction with a rapid onset and can be fatal. Children are disproportionately at risk for hospitalization and emergency department visits due to anaphylaxis. A previously conducted mixed studies systematic review and qualitative descriptive study found that parents lacked confidence in recognizing and treating an anaphylactic reaction in their child, and were unsure of when to bring their child to the emergency department. This demonstrates that more effective knowledge translation (KT) tools are needed to satisfy parent information needs.

The purpose of this research was to work with parents to develop and test the usability of an animated video and an interactive infographic about anaphylactic reactions in children. These tools merge the best available research evidence with narratives of parent experiences to respond to their information needs. Prototypes were evaluated by parents (video n=31; infographic n=30) through usability testing in an urban emergency department waiting room in Alberta. Parents viewed the tools on an iPad and answered questions via an electronic survey. The usability survey consisted of 9, 5-point Likert items, which assessed: 1) usefulness, 2) aesthetics, 3) length, 4) relevance, and 5) future use. Parents were also asked to provide their positive and negative opinions of the tool via two free text boxes. Overall, results were positive and the tools were highly rated across most usability items. Mean scores across usability items were 4.26 to 4.71 for the video and 3.83 to 4.43 for the infographic. The scores from the usability testing suggest arts-based digital tools are useful in sharing complex health information with parents about managing an anaphylactic reaction in their child and provide meaningful guidance on how to improve KT tools to better reflect the needs of parents.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

This study was funded by: Canadian Institutes of Health Research: Scott, S.D. (co-PI) & Hartling, L. (co-PI), Ali, S., Currie, G., Dyson, M., Fernandes, R., Fleck, B., Freedman, S., Jabbour, M., Johnson, D., Junker, A., Klassen, T., Maynard, D., Newton, A., Plint, A., Richer, L., Robinson, J., Robson, K., Vandall-Walker, V. [all collaborators listed in alphabetical order]. (2016) Integrating evidence and parent engagement to optimize children's healthcare. CIHR Foundation Scheme ($2,500,000). July 2016-June 2023.

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University of Alberta Health Research Ethics Board (Edmonton, Alberta)

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