Dose and Engagement in Web and Technology-Based Caregiver-Focused Interventions

Parent training and caregiver-focused interventions are effective in promoting positive caregiving and preventing child behavior problems. However, delivery challenges and low enrollment and attendance are common in programs that are delivered in face-to-face formats. Web-based and mobile interventions are increasingly being used to address barriers in delivery and to enhance participant engagement and dose. Indeed, web-based programs can provide 24‑hour access, ability to scale up and reach parents/caregivers, and consistent delivery. In addition, a benefit of using web-based and mobile technology is the ability to track multiple aspects of participant use and dose of the intervention. Digital tracking analytics can provide important information regarding participant behavior in interacting with the intervention, such as, how and when participants use the intervention, what content they access, number of visits they make to portions of the program, and the frequency to which participants return to completed content. Research of web-based delivered interventions is beginning to emerge related to patterns of program use and intervention outcome. Analysis of usage data is critical to understanding patterns of behavior of using the web-based and mobile interventions and participants’ ongoing use of information after the initial program completion.  This information will help us understand the change mechanisms of the interventions and the relationship with intervention outcomes.

This roundtable discussion will bring together researchers studying the efficacy and delivery of early childhood interventions for parents and caregivers that primarily use web-based or mobile technology as the delivery platform (through either self-administered or facilitated/guided programs with remote coaching).  Each discussant will (1) briefly describe the intervention, (2) identify the dose analytics and engagement strategies that are used for supporting and understanding participant use of the program, and (3) explore opportunities for use of program usage metrics. The overall purpose of the discussion will be to explore the opportunities and challenges related to engagement in and collecting and analyzing dose metrics of web-delivered caregiver-focused interventions and to inform future research in this area.