Parent and Service Provider Perspectives of a Digital Developmental Surveillance and Service Navigation Program in Rural Australia: A Qualitative Study

Background Encouraging healthy childhood development and aiding the early identification of developmental difficulties are crucial to providing the best possible outcomes. Young children in rural areas are at a higher risk of missing timely developmental screening than their non-rural counterparts. This study examined the feasibility and acceptability of a digital developmental surveillance program with a service navigator, Watch Me Grow-Electronic (WMG-E), trialled in rural Australia via a randomised controlled trial (RCT). Methods Qualitative data were collected from semi-structured interviews with ten parents who participated in the RCT (six intervention, four control) and six service providers. Transcripts were analysed via reflexive thematic analysis. Results The study revealed barriers and enablers of both the existing Child and Family Health Services (CFHS) and the WMG-E program comprising of a weblink and service navigation. Enablers of the CFHS included the flexible service options and comprehensive support model, while also acknowledging the resource barriers and service capacity limitations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Enablers of WMG-E weblink included its valuable feedback on child development, digital accessibility benefits, and user-friendly interface. Barriers of the WMG-E weblink included limited clinician oversight during survey completion, and technological barriers related to the digital format. Enablers of the WMG-E service navigation included the ability to address service gaps by connecting families to local services, provide support during waitlist periods, and alleviate the strain on understaffed remote healthcare facilities. Conclusions Access to digital support was perceived as particularly valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic when services were closed. The WMG-E program offers a promising avenue to improve the accessibility and uptake of developmental screening services in rural Australia when functioning in harmony with existing care providers. Trial registration: The study is part of a randomised controlled trial (Protocol No. 1.0, Version 3.1) registered with ANZCTR (registration number: ACTRN12621000766819, July 21st, 2021) and reporting of the trial results will be according to recommendations in the CONSORT Statement.