Content analysis of qualitative interviews for user-centered design of a prototype mobile health app for direct support professionals' resilience

BACKGROUND

Direct support professionals support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities with essential health and community living needs. Despite an unrelenting workforce shortage crisis, limited evidence-based resources exist for their support. Resilience, or the ability to thrive in the face of challenges, is a target for health care professional wellbeing initiatives. As an "invisible" workforce interspersed throughout various community-based settings, direct support professionals may benefit from resources provided via mobile health apps.

OBJECTIVES

To assess direct support professionals' acceptability of and preferences for the design of a mobile health app prototype to support their resilience, DSP Thrive.

METHOD

This concept generation and prototype design study employed a two-phase qualitative-descriptive design. Phase 1 assessed direct support professionals' acceptability of and preferences for a mobile health app for direct support professional resilience. Phase 2 elicited feedback on mock-up images of an initial prototype. Data were collected via qualitative interviews (n = 13), and transcripts were analyzed using content analysis.

RESULTS

Phase 1: Direct support professionals identified three primary opportunities for an app to support their resilience: learning via educational resources, practicing resilience strategies, and cultivating a peer support network. Based on these findings, the DSP Thrive app prototype was designed with Learn, Practice, and Connect functions. Phase 2: User feedback on walk-throughs of mock-up images indicated initial acceptability of the prototype design with considerations for further development identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Engaging direct support professionals in user-centered design of mobile health apps may help to bridge the gap to resilience resources for this essential workforce population.

Short Report: Where do caregivers of persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities obtain information about medication?

BACKGROUND/AIMS/METHODS

Medication information is available from many sources. This short report provides a simple description of where caregivers of people with intellectual/developmental disability (IDD) obtain medication information, and compares these sources between family caregivers and direct support professionals (DSP).

PROCEDURES/OUTCOMES

Cross-sectional study design using an internet-based survey of caregivers, aged 18 years or older, who provided support to adults with IDD. The primary outcome is the source of medication information reported by caregivers.

RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS

Eighty-nine caregivers responded. Health care professionals were the primary source (87.6 %) of medication information, followed by the internet (77.5 %). There was no difference between caregiver groups for these two sources. The prescription label/information sheet was the next most common source (56.2 %), with significantly more family (76.2 %) versus DSP (38.3 %), p < 0.001. A medication reference was also common (43.8 %), with 28.6 % of family and 57.4 % of DSP, p = 0.006. House manager/nurse was next, with 16.9 %, and television/radio as a source (10.1 %), no difference between groups. Lastly, friends or coworkers were 7.9 %, with no DSP endorsing this option, p = 0.006.

IMPLICATIONS

Caregivers obtain medication information from a variety of sources, with health care professionals being the primary source. The internet was also very common, which may be worrisome, due to the wide range of level of quality of information available. Educational interventions should be developed to provide caregivers with tools to be able identify and use legitimate medication information.