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Digital Health Pathway for Children With Medical Complexity Requiring Tracheostomy (DECIDE-T)

U

University of Alberta

Status

Enrolling

Conditions

Tracheostomy

Treatments

Procedure: Digital health pathway for children with medical complexity requiring tracheostomy (DECIDE-T)

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT06375369
Pro00127121

Details and patient eligibility

About

The DECIDE-T project is developing a standardized clinical pathway specifically for pediatric patients who require tracheostomy with or without long-term ventilation (tracheostomy/LTV). These patients represent a small portion of Alberta's population but account for over 50% of pediatric patients hospitalized for more than 180 days. The pathway will include a hospital-to-home directive that incorporates digital health solutions to provide support to families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. Digital supports will include a Connect Care pathway, resources for informed decision-making, educational modules, high-fidelity simulations for family and caregiver education, an online parental resource center, and access to peer support within the hospital and community, as well as a post-discharge telehealth program.

The goal of the DECIDE-T project is to reduce hospital stays and associated costs for children requiring tracheostomy/LTV, as well as to decrease mental distress and burnout experienced by their caregivers and families.

Full description

BACKGROUND: Medical advances have resulted in more children surviving critical illness and then living with medical complexity. Children discharged after critical illness with a tracheostomy-a surgical opening created through the neck to form an artificial airway that can be used for mechanical ventilation-are an example of this medically complex, technologically-dependent patient population. In Alberta, care for these children is centralized at the Stollery and Alberta Children's Hospitals. Fewer than 40 tracheostomized patients/year account for >50% of pediatric patients hospitalized for over 180 days and average $484.660/patient/year-more than 30% of Alberta's annual pediatric acute care budget. These tertiary centers, however, lack a provincial standardized tracheostomy care pathway and, based on current guidelines, have substantial variations in practice, program inefficiencies, and barriers to care. This causes: 1) compromised health and disease burden for patients; 2) inconsistent and poorly informed decision-making; 3) increased stay in intensive care and hospital; 4) systemic inequities for certain subpopulations; and 5) substantial burdens for families-caregivers and healthcare providers (HCPs), causing burnout and long-lasting mental health complications. These factors result in a high cost for the health system and potential detriment to the care of other pediatric patients.

DIGITAL SOLUTION: Investigators propose the adaptation, implementation, and assessment of a provincial Digital hEalth Pathway for ChIldren with MeDical ComplExity requiring Tracheostomy/LTV (DECIDE-T). The DECIDE-T model will comprise a hospital-to-home journey, education and peer support digital solutions and a telemedicine follow-up program to support families-caregivers and HCPs looking after tracheostomized children.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Reduce hospital stay and costs by 40%; SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: decrease families-caregivers mental stress and HCPs moral distress using validated measures.

APPROACHES: The key components of DECIDE-T will be defined using evidence-based guidelines and consultation with families-caregivers, HCPs, and other stakeholders. Scientific methods will be used to evaluate outcomes after implementation of DECIDE-T.

Enrollment

180 estimated patients

Sex

All

Ages

Under 18 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

  • Age < 18 years
  • First tracheostomy placement

Exclusion criteria

-

Trial design

Primary purpose

Treatment

Allocation

Non-Randomized

Interventional model

Single Group Assignment

Masking

None (Open label)

180 participants in 2 patient groups

Pre-implementation
No Intervention group
Description:
Subjects undergoing tracheostomy procedure before the implementation of DECIDE-T
Post-implementation/Intervention
Active Comparator group
Description:
Subjects undergoing tracheostomy procedure after the implementation of DECIDE-T
Treatment:
Procedure: Digital health pathway for children with medical complexity requiring tracheostomy (DECIDE-T)

Trial contacts and locations

2

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Central trial contact

Maria Castro Codesal, MD, PhD; Daniel Ofosu, MPhil

Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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