I-Corps: Standardized, digital-based developmental assessment and monitoring system

The University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston, Houston TX

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is in the domain of pediatric health care in early childhood. Approximately 1 in 6 children in the United States has a developmental delay that may require intervention. In the US, the cost of developmental delays among people <24 years old is estimated at $247 billion annually. Fortunately, increased access to early neurodevelopmental and behavioral health assessment services is cost-effective and results in improved outcomes. Two essential steps in the process of families receiving early intervention services to improve developmental functioning are (1) identification via screening/assessment; and (2) referral to appropriate intervention providers. This project aims to improve developmental, behavioral, and learning outcomes for at-risk children by improving accuracy of identifying children in need of developmental and educational services and monitoring responsiveness to intervention strategies. There exists broad market potential because of the challenges associated with the current standards of detecting developmental delays, particularly in children at medical risk for delays, such as premature birth. Approximately 1.7 million children each year in the 1-5 age range need close monitoring based on premature birth status alone. Additionally, children without identified risk factors also are monitored at least annually for development and pre-academic skills in pediatric clinics. There are more than 90,000 pediatricians in the United States that comprise the potential customer base. This I-Corps project is derived from research highlighting the limitations of developmental monitoring, including reliance on parent report measures rather than direct screening and difficulties tracking development and response to developmental interventions over time. Current practices for identifying children with developmental delays vary drastically across clinics and providers. Screening procedures typically rely on parent reports of development, despite consistent reports that direct assessment of skills is superior to parent report in accuracy and improves parent and clinician confidence in results. The technology in this I-Corps project is designed to improve developmental screening and monitoring practices by providing clinicians with a standardized and norm-referenced interactive system to directly assess and monitor development in early childhood. Using a digital-based touch-screen interface, the technology will directly assess skills with reduced administration time by customizing item difficulty to the child using computer adapted testing technology. The system will analyze the child?s response patterns to generate targeted teaching and intervention recommendations for providers and parents. Additionally, a back-end database will allow for tracking of child performance and improvement across multiple visits and across providers.