Funding outcome

Nearly a million Canadian parents taking their child to an Emergency Department this year will have a limited understanding of basic health information. Parents with low health literacy are three times as likely to bring their child in for non-urgent conditions, and improving parent health literacy is likely to decrease unneeded trips to the hospital. To assist with health literacy, Albertans can access pamphlets at hospitals and doctors' offices, and call Health Link 811 to speak with a nurse. However, pamphlets are only available where they are distributed, and calls to Health Link are limited by the number of nurses taking calls. Apps on mobile phones and tablets (widespread in Canada) offer a new way of assisting with health literacy. This project aims to create the first app for parents using Canadian-relevant health research, allowing easy access to acute childhood illnesses information. To use the app, parents' verbal description of their child's symptoms will be matched to the correct information (and if none is available, direct parents to call Health Link), and track app use and subsequent health decisions. Health information will be presented as a set of KT tools (e.g. videos, infographics) in the app. These tools are built on best-available research evidence, co-developed with Canadian parents and healthcare professionals to ensure they resonate with parents. We will also co-develop this app. Data from this app will show how parents find and act on health information in an app, and how parental identity (e.g. gender, race, and age) influences app use and health decisions. This information is critical to guide modifications to the app and future KT efforts.