eporter

DigiKnowIt News is one of the first interactive, educational websites designed with the specific goal of helping researchers recruit more participants for pediatric clinical trials and research studies. DigiKnowIt News works by educating children and adolescents on various aspects of pediatric research, so they may be more likely and comfortable to participate in research. The website targets the most common barriers to pediatric clinical trials to decrease youth skepticism and fear about participating in research and increase youth knowledge, confidence, and positive attitudes about participating in a clinical trial or research study.

But, will using an educational website to inform potential participants really make a difference?

DigiKnowIt News is a unique resource for informing potential participants about pediatric studies because it is strategically designed to be engaging and developmentally appropriate for youth. Unlike most forms of educating youth about their rights and the measures and procedures being used in a specific study, DigiKnowIt News was developed with input from both youth and researchers to ensure that the website’s content not only includes all of the information that young people need to confidently make a decision to participate in research, but also engages youth, so they can easily understand and retain information.

Research has shown that young people are better able to make decisions about participating in research when their options are presented in an age-appropriate way and when the method of communication considers children’s emotional and cognitive abilties.¹ In addition, interactive, entertaining, and relevant resources may improve children’s comprehension of concepts related to clinical trials.²

DigiKnowIt News appeals to several different learning styles so that young people can stay engaged with the website’s content whether they learn best by interacting with information passively or actively. DigiKnowIt News utilizes three different types of interactive, educational features for children including: comic books, investigations, and spotlight videos. Comic books are digital, interactive activities that allow young people to choose an avatar and follow adventures through a clinical trial. Investigations are web-based modules for learning about clinical trials and medical procedures through completing entertaining, interactive activities. Spotlights are videotaped interviews with young people to learn about their real-life experiences being a participant in a clinical trial.

Incorporating interactive components in web-based educational resources for use by potential participants in pediatric studies may be more effective at helping young people engage with and retain information about pediatric research than typical informed assent methods, such as only providing information in paper form or research staff having informed assent meetings with participants. Studies have found that children who used the DigiKnowIt News website were satisfied with its interactive features. In fact, 78% of children who used the website said they enjoyed using it and 88% said they learned new information from it. In addition, children who used DigiKnowIt News rated it as very usable and reported that it had an easy-to-use format.³

To view a demo of DigiKnowIt News’ engaging investigations, comic books, and spotlights, visit https://digiknowit.com/free-version/.

1. Barakat, L. P., Patterson, C. A., Mondestin, V., Chavez, V., Austin, T., Robinson, M. R., Li, Y., Smith-Whitley, K., & Cohen, R. (2013). Initial development of a questionnaire evaluating perceived benefits and barriers to pediatric clinical trials participation. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 34(2), 218–226.
2. Sheridan, R., Martin-Kerry, J., Watt, I., Higgins, S., Stones, S. R., Taylor, D. H., & Knapp, P. (2019). User testing digital, multimedia information to inform children, adolescents and their parents about healthcare trials. Journal of Child Health Care, 23(3), 468–482.
3. Parker, A. E., Scull, T. M., & Morrison, A. M. (2021). Educating youth about pediatric clinical trials using an interactive, multimedia educational website. Journal of Child Health Care, 26(1), 139-153.