Parents’ and carers’ attitudes to the use of digital technology and its role in the care of children with complex needs.

Abstract

Introduction:
Parent/carers of disabled children want timely and personalized support. Research suggests that technology may address some limitations associated with traditional methods of communication with therapists (e.g. letter, telephone). This exploratory study examined United Kingdom (UK) parents and carers views on the use of digital technology (i.e. computers/phones) in supporting their child and the potential for its greater use in the care of children with complex needs.

Methods:
An online survey was distributed via special schools and support forums/networks. Questions explored use of and attitudes to digital technology in the care of children with complex needs. Descriptive statistical analyses and content analyses were undertaken on the data.

Results:
Respondents were 43 parents/carers whose children used rehabilitation services prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority used digital technology frequently to support their child and saw the potential for greater use in rehabilitation services – provided this was not at the expense of in-person therapist contact.

Conclusion:
Parents and carers held positive views of digital technology as a tool to support their child and enhance rehabilitation services. Recommendations include regular service consultation on parental/child attitudes to digital service delivery and longitudinal studies to assess related health outcomes.