Checking IN: Development, Acceptability, and Feasibility of a Pediatric Electronic Distress Screener

• Published in: Clinical practice in pediatric psychology Vol. 11; no. 1; p. 94
• Main Authors: Wiener, Lori, Bedoya, Sima Z, Gordon, Mallorie, Fry, Abigail, Casey, Robert, Steele, Amii, Ruble, Kathy, Ciampa, Devon, Pao, Maryland
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.03.2023
• Subjects: distress screening; adolescents; children; chronic illness; outpatient care; electronic; psychosocial
• DOI: 10.1037/cpp0000450
• ISSN: 2169-4826

Chronic illness in children and adolescents is associated with significant stress and risk of psychosocial problems. In busy pediatric clinics, limited time and resources are significant barriers to providing mental health assessment for every child. A brief, real-time self-report measure of psychosocial problems is needed. An electronic distress screening tool, , for ages 8-21 was developed in 3 phases. Phase I used semi-structured cognitive interviews (N = 47) to test the wording of items assessing emotional, physical, social, practical, and spiritual concerns of pediatric patients. Findings informed the development of the final measure and an electronic platform (Phase II). Phase III used semi-structured interviews (N = 134) to assess child, caregiver and researcher perception of the feasibility, acceptability, and barriers of administering in the outpatient setting at 4 sites. Most patients and caregivers rated as "easy" or "very easy" to complete, "feasible" or "somewhat feasible," and the time to complete the measure as acceptable. Most providers (n = 68) reported elicited clinically useful and novel information. Fifty-four percent changed care for their patient based on the results. is a versatile and brief distress screener that is acceptable to youth with chronic illness and feasible to administer. The summary report provides immediate clinically meaningful data. Electronic tools like can capture a child's current psychosocial wellbeing in a standardized, consistent, and useful way, while allowing for the automation of triaging referrals and psychosocial documentation during outpatient visits.