Using Technology to Support Expectant and Parenting Youth through Case Management: Lessons Learned in the Field
- PDF / 609,986 Bytes
- 7 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 57 Downloads / 175 Views
Using Technology to Support Expectant and Parenting Youth through Case Management: Lessons Learned in the Field Nichole Kang1 · Morgan Patrick1 · Frances Williams2,3 · Katharine Hemady3 · Mara Aussendorf3 · Livia Greenbacker3 · Allison Kannam3
© The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Introduction The Support. Empower. Learn. Parenting Health Initiative (SELPHI) provides expectant and parenting youth ages 16–24 in Philadelphia with supports to improve educational, social, and economic outcomes to shape their health and the health of their children. Phone, text, video-based, and social media communication technology is built in to SELPHI’s program design to facilitate case management and connect clients to a broad referral network. Given the novelty of using information and communication technology (ICT) in case management, the reported lessons learned seek to give providers a specific and nuanced picture of ICT in case management. Methods In its initial 6-month implementation period, SELPHI’s five case managers, called Navigators, served 59 clients. Data from feedback surveys and case records were collected from clients and Navigators. Data included client demographic characteristics, needs assessment, and contact records to inform continuous quality improvement (CQI). Results ICT’s benefits included having multiple ways to connect to difficult-to-reach clients, the ability to be more responsive to clients, and the flexibility to address scheduling and transportation barriers. ICT’s challenges are related to Navigators’ boundary setting, limitations on rapport building, and data security considerations. CQI data are presented to illustrate the lessons learned. Text messages were the most prevalent ICT; phone calls were most successful in engaging clients. Clients’ ICT preferences differed by purpose of communication. Discussion Findings suggest that programs should understand the nuances of client contact preferences. To maximize the benefits of ICT, programs must develop or adapt protocols based on preference and purpose of communication. Keywords Health navigation · Case management · Information and communication technology · Young parents
Significance Statement Past research on young adult populations vulnerable to health risks suggests that integrating information and communication technology (ICT) into case management may be a promising method to engage clients. The small amount of existing literature on this topic is limited to homeless youth and the use of ICT has not been studied with expectant and * Nichole Kang [email protected] 1
Health Promotion Council of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Inc., Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA
2
Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
3
Research & Evaluation Group, Public Health Management Corporation, Philadelphia, PA, USA
parenting youth. Lessons learned from the SELPHI project suggest that communication technology constitutes a useful tool to engage young adults in case management services, although some meth
Data Loading...
