A child-friendly mobile application designed to educate children and caregivers on the purpose of tonsillectomies and guide them through pre-, intra-, and post-operative care using age-appropriate, interactive content.
Tonsillectomies are one of the most common surgeries performed on children 15 years of age and under. In a tonsillectomy surgery, the tonsil and its capsule are completely removed. The two most common indications for tonsillectomy among children are recurrent throat infections and obstructive sleep-disordered breathing. Educating and counseling children and parents/caregivers on the procedure, pre- and post-operative care is important for managing anxiety before surgery and optimizing recovery after surgery. Parents and caregivers use widely available digital tools and websites, but these sources may have variable content that is unreliable and not vetted by medical/research experts in the fields. There is an unmet need for child-focused, readily accessible, and reliable patient education materials.
Emory researchers have developed a child-focused, interactive mobile application to support patient and caregiver education around pediatric tonsillectomy. Designed with second grade reading level text, animated illustrations, and active learning strategies, the app explains the purpose of the procedure, preparation steps, anesthesia, and post-operative care in an engaging and age-appropriate format. Timed notifications before and after surgery pre-emptively answer common questions. The app is built to align with current clinical practice guidelines. Its modular design allows for customization across other pediatric procedures and translation into multiple languages, expanding its potential impact on pediatric surgical education.
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