NAMIBIO App (Subproject 4: User perspective and evaluation)
The BMBF project NAMIBIO App - Food Allergy Biomarker Application is a project consortium of the University of Leipzig, the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the University of Regensburg, the University of Magdeburg and NeoPrediX start-up company. NAMIBIO App aims to provide early prediction in the development of food allergies in children and to develop a digital application that helps healthcare professionals and parents of children at high risk for food allergies to prevent disease and increase tolerances at an early stage.
SP 4 - User perspective and evaluation
The paradigm shift from allergen avoidance to induction of tolerance early in life which occurred in the past decade means that the evidence base on which recommendations for prevention are based is changing causing uncertainty about the right strategies for prevention in both parents and healthcare professionals. Both groups struggle to access, understand, appraise, and apply health information in order to make judgments and take decisions in everyday life concerning allergy prevention. This renders a thorough investigation of the perceptions and needs of both groups particularly important.
In general
The aim of this sub-project is to explore parents and healthcare professionals (HCPs) perceptions of the digital information environment on food allergy prevention and prediction. From this, recommendations for the development of digital health apps for parents and healthcare professionals will be derived and finally the newly developed apps will be evaluated. The sub-project comprises 5 objectives:
Objective 1: To explore and understand parental information needs and search (study "parents").
Objective 2: To explore and understand health care utilization and healthcare professionals’ perspectives on prediction and prevention of food allergy in a digital information environment (study "GP").
Objective 3: To explore and understand the digital information environment (study "digital information").
Objective 4: Triangulation of findings ("parents", "GP" and "digital information" studies) and development of recommendations.
Objective 5: Iterative evaluation of the apps in terms of usability and acceptance.
Project team & contacts
Prof. Dr. Christian Apfelbacher Institute of Social Medicine & Health Systems Research Faculty of Medicine, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg Project lead Magdeburg |
Dr. Susanne Brandstetter University Children's Hospital Regensburg (KUNO) at the Hospital St. Hedwig of the Order of St. John, University of Regensburg Project lead Regensburg |
Dr. Madlen Hörold |
Katharina Gerhardinger, M.Sc |