Informing design of an app-based coaching intervention to promote social participation of teenagers with traumatic brain injury

ABSTRACT

Objective: To examine perspectives of multiple stakeholders to inform the design of an app-based coaching intervention to promote social participation in teenagers with traumatic brain injury (TBI).Methods: Teenagers and college students with and without TBI and parents of teenagers with TBI were recruited from two children’s hospitals and two universities in the USA (n = 39). Data were collected via interviews, focus groups, and surveys and examined using descriptive statistics and content analyses. Results: Teenagers with TBI reported more social participation barriers and fewer strategies for addressing these barriers than teenagers without TBI. There was consensus across groups about the value of college student coaches and use of smartphones and apps. Participants expressed mixed views on the use of chat rooms and degree of parent involvement. Conclusion: Results provided insights about the possible benefits of the intervention, and informed its initial design (e.g., desired coach qualities, and type of coach training and supervision).

KEYWORDS:

• Adolescents
• rehabilitation
• technology
• tele-health
• youth

Acknowledgments

We thank all of our participants for their time and important feedback. We also thank Melanie LaFavre, MS, OTR/L and Amy Fleischer, MS, OTR/L formerly graduate students, Tufts University, Department of Occupational Therapy, who assisted with data collection and analyses.

Funding

This research was funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR, grant #H133G130272), a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Appendix: *Common survey questions asked of teenagers, college students, and parents

I Social participation

1. What is your favorite social activity (an activity that you like to do with friends or others from your community or school)?

2. How often do you typically do this social activity? (Daily to Once Yearly)

3. How would you describe the opportunities for participating in social activities in your community and school? (Poor to Excellent)

4. What kinds of things interfere with your ability to participate in social activities in your community and school?

5. What kinds of things do you do to be able to participate in social activities in your community and school?

6. What do others do to help you participate in social activities in your community and at school?

II Cellphone /app use

1. Do you own a mobile phone? (Is it a smartphone?)

2. What is the model of your mobile phone?

3. Please list phones/models you have experience with:

4. How old were you when you received your first mobile phone? (your first smartphone?)

5. Approximately, how many texts do you send a day?

6. Do you use any other features of your mobile phone (or smartphone)?

7. If so, how much time do you spend on them a day? (A list was provided; Don’t use it to Greater than 5 hours)

8. How often do you use the following types of apps on a typical day? (A list was provided; Don’t use it to Greater than 5 hours)

9. Using a mobile phone or smartphone is a very important part of life (Strongly agree to Strongly disagree). Briefly explain:

10. I would rate my mobile phone or smartphone abilities as (Poor to Excellent). Briefly explain:

11. Please describe up to three features of a mobile phone or smartphone that you like the best or find most helpful to you. Briefly explain:

12. Please describe up to three features of a mobile phone or smartphone that you don’t like or find unhelpful to you. Briefly explain:

13. What type of smartphone would you want if you could afford it? Briefly explain:

14. Please name or describe up to three apps that you like the best or find the most helpful to you. Briefly explain:

*There were slight variations in surveys specific to each stakeholder group. Parents of teenagers with TBI were asked to report on what they thought their teenagers did and what they thought was most helpful for their teenagers.