Enhancing parental health knowledge through digital knowledge mobilisation tools: a randomised controlled trial and qualitative study

Clinical Snapshot

Key Findings

• P Value: p < 0.001

• Effect Size: Cohen's d = 0.30 (small effect size)

• Primary Outcome: Significant improvement in knowledge scores for topics covered by blogshots at 5-week follow-up

• Nnt Or Sensitivity: Not calculable from available data

• Confidence Interval: Not reported in abstract

Clinical Application

Highly feasible given digital delivery method and low resource requirements Relevant to Australian primary care and paediatric practice; could complement existing health education initiatives and align with RACGP patient education guidelines Parents and caregivers of young children seeking reliable health information

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of blogshots (ie, image-based digital knowledge mobilisation tools) to increase knowledge and manage expectations with respect to six Choosing Wisely Canada (CWC) recommendations about common childhood conditions. DESIGN: Multimethod study including a non-pharmacological randomised controlled trial and qualitative interviews. SETTING: Online questionnaires and semistructured interviews across Canada. PARTICIPANTS: Parents or legal guardians of children under 5 years. INTERVENTION: Participants were randomly allocated to receive one of two sets of blogshots whereby a blogshot on a new CWC topic was delivered weekly over 3 weeks (Group A: pharyngitis (diagnosis), common cold, asthma; Group B: pharyngitis (treatment), bronchiolitis, otitis media). Study investigators were blinded to participant allocation. Baseline and follow-up (week 5, month 3, month 6) questionnaires were administered. Qualitative interviews contextualised intervention data. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was change in knowledge. Secondary outcomes were change in expectations, intentions, actions over time and usability of the blogshots. RESULTS: 167 participants (n=133 (80%) mothers) were included in the final analysis (group A, n=85; group B, n=82). Baseline knowledge scores did not differ between groups. At follow-up 1, those who received the blogshot for a given topic scored significantly higher (p<0.001, d=0.30) on knowledge questionnaires, compared with those that did not. No differences were observed in knowledge scores between groups at follow-up 2 and 3. Participants expressed intentions to use the blogshots (eg, share with friends, physicians), as well as actions (eg, wait/watch approach vs seek healthcare) to manage their child's condition. Qualitative data (n=13 interviews) showed that blogshots are aesthetically pleasing and contain easy to read and understandable information. CONCLUSIONS: Blogshots can be an effective tool to disseminate child health information to parents. Due to the online dissemination, this approach could be scaled to a broader international level and applied to different health topics that are relevant across the world. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT06005337.

References

1. 1.Elliott, S. A., Cyrkot, S., Scott, S. D., & Hartling, L. (2026). Enhancing parental health knowledge through digital knowledge mobilisation tools: a randomised controlled trial and qualitative study. BMJ Paediatrics Open. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2025-004197