The Design, Development, and Usability Testing of an eHealth Program for Youths With Osteogenesis Imperfecta: Protocol for a 2-Phase User-Centered Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Innovative approaches are needed to address the self-management needs of youths with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) transitioning into adult-oriented health care systems. Using a sequentially phased research approach, the goal is to design, develop, and test the usability of an innovative eHealth program called "Teens Taking Charge: Managing OI Online," hereafter named "Teens OI." This program seeks to optimize self-management, facilitate a successful transition to adult care, and address a critical gap in the quality of care for youths with OI. OBJECTIVE: The study objectives are to (1) design and develop an English and French version of the Teens OI and (2) test the usability of the Teens OI in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction from the perspectives of youths with OI and their parents. METHODS: A user-centered design is presently in progress to design and develop Teens OI. A "Website Design and Development Council" (ie, Council) has been convened, with 20 youths and parent dyads recruited and global experts surveyed at an international meeting. With unanimous support from the Council, usability testing of the Teens OI will ensue in 4 iterative cycles with 32 youth-parent dyads. All sociodemographic and usability metrics will be descriptively analyzed. All recorded interview and focus group data are analyzed using content analysis techniques involving an iterative process of data reduction, data display, conclusion drawing, and verification. RESULTS: As of December 2022, an 8-person, interdisciplinary Teens OI council, comprising 4 health care professionals, 3 youths and young adults with OI, and 1 parent, has been convened to oversee the design and development of Teens OI. Two cycles of interviews have been conducted with 10 youths with OI with or without their parents (n=6) from December 2021 to September 2022. Data analysis has been in progress since April 2022. Aim 2 is ethically approved and will commence following the completion of content development, expected by late July 2023. Preliminary analysis indicates that the following topics need to be prioritized for the youths: mental health, pain, accessibility, medical care, education, community, and parental care. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed study will design and develop a self-management and transitional care program for youths with OI in partnership with patients, caregivers, and health care professionals. This study leverages youths' openness to adopt eHealth technologies to meet their needs and has the potential to actively engage them to autonomously manage their lifelong conditions, and facilitate a successful transition to adult health care. Finally, the proposed study will also address a critical gap in the quality of care and the growing concern that the OI population transitioning from pediatric to adult care is at risk of various adverse events associated with the transition. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/47524.

How Children's participation ought to be practiced: A preliminary ethical framework to optimise the participation of children with osteogenesis imperfecta in health care.

BACKGROUND: A three-phase ethnography was conducted at a paediatric orthopaedic hospital exploring the actual and desired participation of children with Osteogenesis Imperfecta in discussions, decisions and actions in the hospital and community. Phase I and Phase II revealed how childhood ethics are understood and practiced in the hospital using artmaking to engage children in discussions about their health-related experiences. Children expressed frustration, anger and disappointment when their desired level of participation in care was not actualized due to forgone opportunities for engagement by clinicians or lack of child-oriented health resources. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study (Phase III) was to specify how childhood ethics ought to be understood and practiced in the hospital by (1) convening hospital stakeholders in a collaborative setting to disseminate findings, identify ethical concerns and generate action steps; and (2) develop a preliminary ethical framework to optimise the participation of children with OI in health care. DESIGN: Focused ethnography reported using the SRQR checklist. METHODS: A focus group was conducted with 14 interdisciplinary hospital stakeholders. Data were analysed using qualitative, thematic analysis to understand primary ethical concerns and accompanying action steps. The findings were consolidated into a preliminary ethical framework and worksheet for clinicians. RESULTS: Four main factors impeding children's voices and desired participation were identified: legal and contextual factors; variations in clinicians' skills, practice and knowledge; difficulties incorporating alternative engagement methods into practice; and need for interprofessional collaboration. Five action steps were identified: Recognise, Elicit, Interpret, Act and Optimise. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The focus group and creation of clinician resources were important steps towards addressing the ethical concerns of children with OI, such as marginalisation or exclusion in their OI care. This study better prepares us to disseminate our findings on a larger scale and create ethical frameworks and resources to improve how vulnerable children's voices are heard, understood and acted upon in healthcare settings.

The moral experiences of children with osteogenesis imperfecta.

BACKGROUND: Serious ethical problems have been anecdotally identified in the care of children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), which may negatively impact their moral experiences, defined as their sense of fulfillment towards personal values and beliefs. RESEARCH AIMS: To explore children's actual and desired participation in discussions, decisions, and actions in an OI hospital setting and their community using art-making to facilitate their self-expression. RESEARCH DESIGN: A focused ethnography was conducted using the moral experiences framework with data from key informant interviews; participant observations, semi-structured interviews, and practice-based research (art-making) with 10 children with OI; and local documents. PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT: The study was conducted at a pediatric, orthopedic hospital. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: This study was approved by McGill University Institutional Review Board. FINDINGS/RESULTS: Children expressed desires to participate in their care, but sometimes lacked the necessary resources and encouragement from healthcare providers. Art-making facilitated children's voice and participation in health-related discussions. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare providers are recommended to consider the benefits of art-making and educational resources to reduce discrepancies between children's actual and desired participation in care and promote positive moral experiences.

Immersive virtual reality vs. non-immersive distraction for pain management of children during bone pins and sutures removal: A randomized clinical trial protocol.

AIMS: To examine the efficacy of an immersive virtual reality distraction compared with an active non-immersive distraction, such as video games on a tablet, for pain and anxiety management and memory of pain and anxiety in children requiring percutaneous bone pins and/or suture removal procedures. DESIGN: Three-centre randomized clinical trial using a parallel design with two groups: experimental and control. METHODS: Study to take place in the orthopaedic department of three children hospital of the Montreal region starting in 2019. Children, from 7-17 years old, requiring bone pins and/or suture removal procedures will be recruited. The intervention group (N = 94) will receive a virtual reality game (Dreamland), whereas the control group (N = 94) will receive a tablet with video games. The primary outcomes will be both the mean self-reported pain score measured by the Numerical Rating Scale and mean anxiety score, measured by the Child Fear Scale. Recalls of pain and anxiety will be measured 1 week after the procedure using the same scales. We aim to recruit 188 children to achieve a power of 80% with a significance level (alpha) of 5%. DISCUSSION: While multiple pharmacological methods have previously been tested for children, no studies have evaluated the impact of immersive virtual reality distraction for pain and anxiety management in the orthopaedic setting. IMPACT: Improved pain management can be achieved using virtual reality during medical procedures for children. This method is innovative, non-pharmacological, adapted to the hospital setting, and user-friendly. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03680625, registered on clinicaltrials.gov.

The day-to-day experiences of caring for children with Osteogenesis Imperfecta: A qualitative descriptive study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore the day-to-day experiences of family caregivers who are caring for children with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI). BACKGROUND: Osteogenesis Imperfecta is a rare genetic condition known to cause bone fragility. Family caregivers of children with OI play an important role in helping these children live well at home. DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive design was used. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted in accordance with the COREQ guidelines. Adult family caregivers (n = 18) of children with OI were recruited from a university-affiliated, paediatric orthopaedic hospital in Montreal, Canada. Individual interviews were conducted, transcribed verbatim and inductively thematically analysed. RESULTS: Osteogenesis Imperfecta family caregiving entailed: (a) managing regular day-to-day caregiving activities, including morning routines, evening routines and the facilitation of their child's mobilisation; (b) coping with periods that made the caregiving routine more challenging, such as fractures, surgeries and pain; and (c) devising long-term strategies to support day-to-day care, such as managing the environment, accessing medical and school resources, and coordinating care and respite. CONCLUSIONS: The day-to-day routine of caring for a child with OI may be disrupted by challenging periods and improved by long-term strategies developed to ease day-to-day care. These strategies suggest future directions for clinicians and policymakers to improve health services and caregiver well-being. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Clinical, policy and research endeavours need to incorporate new interventions to support the needs of family caregivers. These recommendations may be relevant to other clinicians and policymakers working with families living with rare and chronic physical conditions.

Clinical manifestations of osteogenesis imperfecta in adulthood: An integrative review of quantitative studies and case reports.

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a rare genetic disorder of the bones caused by a mutation in Type I collagen genes. As adults with OI are aging, medical concerns secondary to OI may arise. This integrative review sought to review, appraise, and synthesize the clinical manifestations faced by adults with OI. Four electronic bibliographic databases were searched. Published quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies, as well as case reports from 2000 to March 2019, addressing a clinical manifestation in adulthood, were reviewed. Eligible studies and case reports were subsequently appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and Case Report Checklist, respectively. Twenty quantitative studies and 88 case reports were included for review regardless of the varying methodological quality score. These studies collectively included 2,510 adults with different OI types. Several clinical manifestations were studied, and included: hearing loss, cardiac diseases, pregnancy complications, cerebrovascular manifestations, musculoskeletal manifestations, respiratory manifestations, vision impairment, and other clinical manifestations. Increased awareness may optimize prevention, treatment, and follow-up. Opportunities to enhance the methodological quality of research including better design and methodology, multisite collaborations, and larger and diverse sampling will optimize the generalizability and transferability of findings.

Exploring the Views of Osteogenesis Imperfecta Caregivers on Internet-Based Technologies: Qualitative Descriptive Study.

BACKGROUND: Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a rare genetic condition that can lead to frequent debilitating bone fractures. Family caregivers of children with OI face unique challenges in providing care, which may include limited access to information about the condition, feelings of distress, and experiences of social isolation. Internet-based technologies (IBTs) have been useful for supporting other types of caregivers. However, the views of OI caregivers on IBTs have not been explored. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the views of OI caregivers on the uses of IBTs to support them in caring for their children with OI. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted. Caregivers of children with OI were recruited at a pediatric hospital in Montreal, Canada. Interviews were used to explore each caregiver's views on the applicability of IBTs in supporting their caregiving needs. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 18 caregivers participated. The caregivers shared that IBTs were useful for facilitating the following activities: daily activities of caregiving (such as providing physical care, supporting relationships, supporting self-care and hope, and managing the logistics of caregiving), OI medical information seeking, and OI social networking. However, they also revealed concerns about the health consequences of IBT use and the quality of IBT content. Concerns regarding IBTs varied somewhat with caregivers' geographies. Caregivers offered suggestions and strategies for how IBTs can be optimized for caregiving. CONCLUSIONS: Family caregivers of children with OI face unique challenges in providing care, which may include lacking access to information about the rare condition and feeling socially isolated. OI caregivers use IBTs to overcome some of these challenges and to support their specific caregiving needs. These findings contribute to the paucity of knowledge by offering varied IBT strategies to support caregiving activities, which may be beneficial for other caregivers. Participants' suggestions for IBT services can inform the development of new resources for OI caregivers and potentially for other caregivers of children living with rare conditions.

A Best Practice Initiative to Optimize Transfer of Young Adults With Osteogenesis Imperfecta From Child to Adult Healthcare Services.

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were (1) to review the current body of knowledge on the transition experiences of adolescents with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) and appraise the evidence available on transfer summary tools, (2) to develop guidelines for the successful transition of adolescents with OI from child to adult healthcare services, and (3) to create a transfer tool tailored to adolescents with OI. DESIGN AND METHODS: This knowledge synthesis study was overseen by an interprofessional expert task force at Shriners Hospitals for Children-Canada and entailed (1) review of the literature, (2) development of guidelines, and (3) creation of a tool. RESULTS: The tool was created from evidence compiled from case reports, clinical examples, and nonexperimental studies. CONCLUSION: The transfer tool proposes guidelines designed to facilitate a smooth transition from child to adult healthcare services. It also offers creation of a clinically meaningful, person-focused, OI transfer tool that may in turn help improve the transition experience for adolescents. This study significantly contributes to the dearth of literature on transition experiences in OI and on transfer tools in general. Future research is needed to evaluate the implementation and evaluation of the OI transfer tool in practice.

Pain experiences of adults with osteogenesis imperfecta: An integrative review.

Background: Pain is a common symptom of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) among children and adolescents. However, little is currently known of the pain experiences of adults with OI. Aims: The aims of this study were to critically appraise the studies assessing OI pain, to synthesize the pain experiences of adults with OI, and to compare the adult OI pain experiences to childhood. Methods: An integrative review was conducted. Five electronic bibliographic databases were searched. Published quantitative, qualitative, and/or mixed-method studies assessing pain in adults with OI were screened, reviewed, and appraised. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate quality scores, summarize sample characteristics, and synthesize findings. Extracted pain data were analyzed using constant comparison and consolidated into meaningful themes. Results: From the 832 titles identified, 14 studies including seven case reports met the inclusion criteria. Study appraisal scores ranged from low to moderate using the Quality Assessment Tool and the Case Report Checklist. The majority of studies assessed pain as a secondary outcome (71.4%) using well-established tools (64.2%). Adults with OI experience pain of mild to moderate intensity, which may interfere with completion of daily activities. Two themes emerged from analysis of the data: mild chronic pain persists despite surgical, pharmacological, or nonpharmacological interventions and past fractures and structural deformities may trigger onset of chronic pain in adulthood. Conclusion: Limited attention has been given to exploring the pain experience of adults diagnosed with OI. Pain is a long-term symptom of OI requiring further in-depth investigation to better understand and manage pain in adults with OI.

Contexte: La douleur est un symptôme commun de l'ostéogenèse imparfaite (OI) chez les enfants et les adolescents. Toutefois, on sait actuellement peu de choses au sujet de la douleur ressentie par les adultes atteints d'OI.But: Effectuer une appréciation critique des études évaluant la douleur occasionnée par l'OI, faire la synthèse de l'information sur la douleur ressentie par les adultes atteints d'OI et comparer la douleur ressentie à l'âge adulte à celle ressentie pendant l'enfance.Méthodes: Un examen par intégration a été mené. Des recherches ont été effectuées dans cinq bases de données bibliographiques électroniques. Les études quantitatives, qualitatives ou mixtes publiées qui évaluaient la douleur chez les adultes atteints d'OI ont été sélectionnées, examinées et évaluées. Des statistiques descriptives ont été utilisées pour calculer leur score de qualité, résumer les caractéristiques de leur échantillon et synthétiser leurs conclusions. Les données sur la douleur qui avaient été extraites ont été analysées à l'aide de la méthode de la comparaison constante et regroupées en thèmes significatifs.Résultats: Parmi les 832 titres recensés, 14 études comprenant sept rapports de cas répondaient aux critères d'inclusion. Au moment de les évaluer, les études ont obtenu un score de qualité allant de faible à modéré en utilisant l'Outil d'évaluation de la qualité et la Liste de vérification pour les études de cas. La majorité des études évaluaient la douleur en tant que résultat secondaire (71,4 %) à l'aide d'outils bien établis (64,2 %). Les adultes attents d'OI ressentent une douleur d'une intensité allant de légère à modérée, qui peut perturber leurs activités quotidiennes. Deux thèmes ont émergé de l'analyse des données : « La douleur chronique légère persiste malgré les inerventions chirurgicales, pharmacologiques ou non phramacologiques ¼ et « les fractures passées et les malformations structurelles peuvent déclencher la douleur chronique à l'âge adulte ¼.Conclusion: L'étude de la douleur ressentie par les adultes ayant reçu un diagnostic d'OI n'a reçu qu'une attention limitée. La douleur est un symptôme d'OI à long terme qui nécessite une investigation plus approfondie afin de mieux la comprendre et d'en assurer une meilleure prise en charge chez les adultes atteints d'OI.