Experiences of Children With Osteogenesis Imperfecta in the Co-design of the Interactive Assessment and Communication Tool Sisom OI: Secondary Analysis of Qualitative Design Sessions.

BACKGROUND: Children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) experience a diversity of symptoms that expose them to difficult physical, mental, and social challenges. Sisom (DHealth) is an interactive assessment and communication tool designed to help children aged 6-12 years with chronic conditions express their symptoms. Recently, the co-design of the Sisom OI paper prototype was launched by seeking the perspectives of end users, including children with OI and their clinicians. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to describe the experiences that children with OI were prompted to share with researchers during the co-design of the Sisom OI paper prototype. METHODS: A secondary analysis of qualitative data was conducted at a university-affiliated, pediatric, orthopedic hospital. The data sources consisted of interview transcripts, drawings, field notes, and observations derived from interviewing 12 children with OI who participated in the co-design of the Sisom OI paper prototype. The themes and subthemes identified from the data sources were generated using qualitative description. RESULTS: Three themes were identified. The first, Relating to Others, described the balance between feeling different versus feeling similar to other children. The subthemes were Common OI Experience, Feeling Different, and Feeling Just Like Others. The second, Relating to Their Condition, described children's positive and negative interactions with their own condition and health care. The subthemes were Understanding Their Condition, Special Relationship with the Hospital, and Difficult Treatments and Procedures. The third, Reflecting on Capabilities, described children's recognition of their strengths and limitations. The subthemes were Perceiving Limitations, Overcoming Isolation, and Celebrating Strengths. CONCLUSIONS: This co-design process provided children with OI the space to not only contribute to the development of the end product but also eloquently describe their experiences. These findings, based on the descriptions given by the children themselves, offer us a unique understanding of what it means to grow up with OI.

Giving Children With Osteogenesis Imperfecta a Voice: Participatory Approach for the Development of the Interactive Assessment and Communication Tool Sisom OI.

BACKGROUND: Children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) experience acute and chronic symptoms that expose them to physical, mental, and social challenges. Empowering these children by involving them in their care can help them to cope with OI. Sisom is an interactive assessment and communication tool designed to help children aged 6-12 years with chronic illnesses express their symptoms. This tool has not yet been adapted to the unique needs of OI. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop a Sisom OI paper prototype by seeking the perspectives of end users. METHODS: A participatory approach was adopted to develop the prototype overseen by an expert panel of 9 clinicians at a university-affiliated pediatric hospital. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 12 children with OI who were aged 6-12 years. The study was carried out over the course of 3 feedback cycles. Data were deductively interpreted using content analysis techniques. RESULTS: Overall, 64% (57/89) of the Sisom symptoms were deemed relevant for inclusion in Sisom OI, with 42% (37/89) directly incorporated and 22% (20/89) incorporated with changes. In total, 114 symptoms were used to create the prototype, of which 57 were newly generated. The relevant symptoms addressed children's thoughts and feelings about hospitalization and their wishes for participation in their own care. The new symptoms addressed fractures, body image, and social isolation related to difficulties with accessibility and intimidation. CONCLUSIONS: Once developed, Sisom OI will offer clinicians an innovative and child-centered approach to capture children's perspectives on their condition.

Bladder and bowel symptoms experienced by children with osteogenesis imperfecta / Sintomas urinários e intestinais apresentados por crianças com osteogênese imperfeita

Abstract Objective: To estimate the prevalence and presentation of bladder, bowel, and combined bladder and bowel symptoms experienced by children with osteogenesis imperfecta and to describe the socio-demographic and clinical profile of these children. Method: A descriptive study was conducted with a convenience sample of parent-child pairs of toilet-trained children aged from 3 to 18 years. Pairs were interviewed using three tools: (1) Socio-Demographic and Clinical Questionnaire; (2) Dysfunctional Voiding Scoring System; (3) Rome III Criteria along with the Bristol Stool Scale. Data were stratified by socio-demographic and clinical variables and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Thirty-one parent-child pairs participated in the study; 38.7% (n = 12) children reported bowel symptoms, 19.4% (n = 6) reported a combination of bladder issues (such as holding maneuvers and urgency) and bowel symptoms (such as hard or painful bowel movements and large diameter stools). There were no reports of isolated bladder issues. Among the child participants, 16 (51.7%) identified as female and 20 (64.5%) were 5-14 years old. The most prevalent type of osteogenesis imperfecta was type III (n = 12; 38.7%) and eight (25.8%) children reported using a wheelchair. Conclusion: This is the first study to examine the prevalence and presentation of bladder, bowel, and combined bladder and bowel symptoms in children with osteogenesis imperfecta, offering a preliminary socio-demographic and clinical profile of these children. This research is an important step toward effective screening, detection, and access to care and treatment, especially for clinicians working with this group of very fragile patients.

Resumo Objetivo: Estimar a prevalência e a apresentação de sintomas urinários, intestinais e urinários e intestinais combinados sofridos por crianças com osteogênese imperfeita e descrever o perfil sociodemográfico e clínico dessas crianças. Método: Foi realizado um estudo descritivo com uma amostra de conveniência de pares de pais-filhos de crianças treinadas para usar o banheiro com idades entre três e 18 anos. Os pares foram entrevistados utilizando três instrumentos: 1) o Questionário Sociodemográfico e Clínico; 2) o questionário Dysfunctional Voiding Scoring System; 3) os Critérios de Roma III juntamente com a Escala de Bristol para Consistência de Fezes. Os dados foram estratificados por variáveis sociodemográficas e clínicas e analisados com estatísticas descritivas. Resultados: Participaram do estudo 31 pares de pais-filhos, 38,7% (n = 12) crianças relataram sintomas intestinais, 19,4% (n = 6) relataram uma combinação de problemas urinários (como segurar e urgência miccional) e sintomas intestinais (como fezes duras ou evacuações dolorosas e fezes de grande dimensão). Não houve relatos de problemas urinários isolados. Entre as crianças, 16 (51,7%) eram meninas e 20 (64,5%) tinham entre 5 e 14 anos. O tipo mais prevalente de osteogênese imperfeita foi o III (n = 12; 38,7%) e 8 (25,8%) crianças relataram usar cadeira de rodas. Conclusão: Este é o primeiro estudo a examinar a prevalência e a apresentação de sintomas urinários, intestinais e urinários e intestinais combinados em crianças com osteogênese imperfeita e que mostra um perfil sociodemográfico e clínico preliminar dessas crianças. Nossa pesquisa é um passo importante com relação ao efetivo rastreamento, detecção e acesso ao cuidado e tratamento, principalmente para os profissionais de saúde que trabalham com esse grupo de pacientes tão frágeis.

Bladder and bowel symptoms experienced by children with osteogenesis imperfecta.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence and presentation of bladder, bowel, and combined bladder and bowel symptoms experienced by children with osteogenesis imperfecta and to describe the socio-demographic and clinical profile of these children. METHOD: A descriptive study was conducted with a convenience sample of parent-child pairs of toilet-trained children aged from 3 to 18 years. Pairs were interviewed using three tools: (1) Socio-Demographic and Clinical Questionnaire; (2) Dysfunctional Voiding Scoring System; (3) Rome III Criteria along with the Bristol Stool Scale. Data were stratified by socio-demographic and clinical variables and analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Thirty-one parent-child pairs participated in the study; 38.7% (n=12) children reported bowel symptoms, 19.4% (n=6) reported a combination of bladder issues (such as holding maneuvers and urgency) and bowel symptoms (such as hard or painful bowel movements and large diameter stools). There were no reports of isolated bladder issues. Among the child participants, 16 (51.7%) identified as female and 20 (64.5%) were 5-14 years old. The most prevalent type of osteogenesis imperfecta was type III (n=12; 38.7%) and eight (25.8%) children reported using a wheelchair. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to examine the prevalence and presentation of bladder, bowel, and combined bladder and bowel symptoms in children with osteogenesis imperfecta, offering a preliminary socio-demographic and clinical profile of these children. This research is an important step toward effective screening, detection, and access to care and treatment, especially for clinicians working with this group of very fragile patients.

A Best Practice Initiative to Optimize Transfer of Young Adults With Osteogenesis Imperfecta From Child to Adult Healthcare Services.

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were (1) to review the current body of knowledge on the transition experiences of adolescents with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) and appraise the evidence available on transfer summary tools, (2) to develop guidelines for the successful transition of adolescents with OI from child to adult healthcare services, and (3) to create a transfer tool tailored to adolescents with OI. DESIGN AND METHODS: This knowledge synthesis study was overseen by an interprofessional expert task force at Shriners Hospitals for Children-Canada and entailed (1) review of the literature, (2) development of guidelines, and (3) creation of a tool. RESULTS: The tool was created from evidence compiled from case reports, clinical examples, and nonexperimental studies. CONCLUSION: The transfer tool proposes guidelines designed to facilitate a smooth transition from child to adult healthcare services. It also offers creation of a clinically meaningful, person-focused, OI transfer tool that may in turn help improve the transition experience for adolescents. This study significantly contributes to the dearth of literature on transition experiences in OI and on transfer tools in general. Future research is needed to evaluate the implementation and evaluation of the OI transfer tool in practice.

Bioaccessibility and bioavailability of methylmercury from seafood commonly consumed in North America: In vitro and epidemiological studies.

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a global contaminant of concern and human exposures are largely realized via seafood consumption. While it is assumed that 95-100% of the ingested MeHg from seafood reaches systemic circulation, recent in vitro studies have yielded results to suggest otherwise. Of the published studies to have characterized the bioaccessibility or bioavailability of MeHg from seafood, only a handful of seafood species have been characterized, there exists tremendous variability in data within and across species, few species of relevance to North America have been studied, and none of the in vitro studies have adapted results to an epidemiology study. The objective of the current study was two-fold: (a) to characterize in vitro MeHg bioaccessibility and bioavailability from ten commonly consumed types of seafood in North America; and (b) to apply the bioaccessibility and bioavailability data from the in vitro study to an existing human MeHg exposure assessment study. Raw seafood samples (cod, crab, halibut, salmon, scallop, shrimp, tilapia, and three tuna types: canned light, canned white, fresh) were purchased in Montreal and their MeHg concentrations generally overlapped with values reported elsewhere. The bioaccessibility of MeHg from these samples ranged from 50.1±19.2 (canned white tuna) to 100% (shrimp and scallop) of the amount measured in the raw undigested sample. The bioavailability of MeHg from these samples ranged from 29.3±10.4 (crab) to 67.4±9.7% (salmon) of the value measured in the raw undigested sample. There were significant correlations between the initial MeHg concentration in seafood with the percent of that Hg that was bioaccessible (r=-0.476) and bioavailable (r=-0.294). When the in vitro data were applied to an existing MeHg exposure assessment study, the estimated amount of MeHg absorbed into systemic circulation decreased by 25% and 42% when considering bioaccessibility and bioavailability, respectively. When the in vitro data were integrated into a regression model relating dietary MeHg intake from seafood with hair and blood Hg biomarkers, there were no differences in key model parameters when comparing the default model (that assumes 100% bioavailability) with models adjusted for the in vitro bioaccessibility and bioavailability data. In conclusion this work adds to a growing number of studies that together suggest that MeHg bioavailability from seafood may be less than 100%, but also documents the challenges when integrating such in vitro data into human exposure and risk assessments.