Digitale zorg in de jeugdgezondheidszorg: Ontwikkeling en haalbaarheid van een zorgpad met e-consulten

Introduction: At specific ages, the Youth Health Care (JGZ) invites all parents for in-person consultations to monitor the child's development. Following the validation of the Structured Problem Analysis of Raising Kids (SPARK), the opportunity arose to differentiate care based on the diverse needs of families.

Method: This study started with the development of a care pathway with e-consultations for low-risk toddlers. After implementation, the child's health and development were monitored via questionnaires completed by parents. To evaluate the study, a consultation was conducted at the age of 30 months, and user experiences were gathered from parents and community health nurses.

Results: In daily practice, it proved feasible to offer e-consultations to parents and children at low risk of parenting and developmental problems, providing them with support. During the project duration, 106 e-consultations were conducted at 24 months, 81 at 30 months, and 59 at 36 months. Parents were very satisfied with the e-consultations, in contrast to youth nurses.

Commentary: This study revealed promising possibilities for digital care in Youth Health Care (JGZ). The parents' perspective motivated youth health nurses to continue with e-consultations. By starting with a digital offering for low-risk parents and children, time can be freed up to focus on parents and children with greater care needs and higher risk. Follow-up research into the effectiveness of e-consultations compared to in-person consultations will follow.