The development and usability testing of two arts-based knowledge translation tools for parents of children with functional constipation

Pediatric functional constipation (FC) is a common childhood problem that involves difficult or painful defecation and can be caused by a variety of different factors. In children, FC is often unrecognized and poorly treated, and has potential to cause abdominal pain, appetite suppression, loss of control over defecation, and family disruption. A recent interpretive description qualitative study found that parents who care for children with FC often experience a myriad of negative sentiments, including isolation and self-doubt. Furthermore, parents often have unanswered questions about the condition, particularly regarding the cause, symptoms, and treatment options. As such, more effective knowledge translation (KT) tools are needed to satisfy parental information needs. The purpose of this research was to collaborate with parents to develop and test the usability of two animated KT tools (video and interactive infographic) on FC in children. Prototypes were co-developed with parents, and then evaluated by parents through usability testing in a large Alberta emergency department waiting room. Usability was assessed based on nine items with responses on a five-point Likert scale from 1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree. Overall, results were positive and the tools were highly rated across most usability items. Mean scores across usability items were 4.20 to 4.59 for the video and 3.73 to 4.30 for the infographic. The scores from the usability testing suggest arts-based digital tools are useful in sharing complex health information with parents about FC and provide meaningful guidance on how to improve KT tools to better reflect the needs of parents of children with FC.