New Jersey’s Web-Based Parent-Engaged Developmental Monitoring Information: Mapping & Critical Appraisal

Caregivers use web-based information to make decisions about their children’s health and development. Due to the state’s high prevalence of developmental delays, New Jersey has developed numerous web-based early childhood initiatives to promote parent engagement. However, the quality of those resources is unknown. The purpose of this study is to map and evaluate the quality, readability, and accessibility of New Jersey’s commonly used web-based information on parent-engaged developmental monitoring in children aged 0-3. This study followed a critical appraisal using standardized quality, readability, and accessibility tools through an inter-rater consensus approach. A systematic web search yielded 112 results. Thirty-six web pages were reviewed by three independent reviewers using the DISCERN, SMOG and LIDA. Mapping data extraction sheets were used to identify web page information. Reviewers found most information was written at a twelfth-grade reading level, two websites were considered ‘good’ quality, and none of the websites showed ‘high accessibility.’ Our study suggests caregivers in New Jersey may lack access to high-quality information on developmental monitoring and treatment of developmental concerns, affecting timely access to state resources. The results highlight a need to develop a comprehensive, collaborative website that meets caregivers’ informational needs and targets their capacity to understand and apply the information to access demographically relevant resources. This research emphasizes the importance of critically appraising eHealth information and the role of occupational therapists in improving caregivers’ digital health literacy and closing the knowledge gap through experience/user interface web design and artificial intelligence tools to create accessible, user-friendly resources.

References

Daraz, L., MacDermid, J., Wilkins, S., Gibson, J., & Shaw, L. (2009). Health information from the web: Assessing its quality: A KET intervention. International Conference: Science and Technology for Humanity. https://doi.org/10.1109/TIC-STH.2009.5444495

Visser, K., Slattery, M., & Stewart, V. (2020). Help or hinder? An assessment of the accessibility, usability, reliability, and readability of disability funding website information for Australian mental health consumers. Health Soc Care Community, 29, 1378–1390. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13192

Pehora, C., Gajaria, N., Soute, M., Fracassa, S., Serebale-O’Sullivan, R., & Matava, C. (2015). Are parents getting it right? A survey of parents’ internet use of children’s health care information. Interact J Med Res, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.2196/ijmr.3790

Mhaskar, R., Emmanuel, P., Mishra, S., Patel, S., Naik, E., & Kumar, A. (2009). Critical appraisal skills are essential to informed decision-making. Indian J Sex Transm Dis AIDS, 30(2), 112–119.