Early detection development of children age 0–2 years based on application sisfor_bidanku

Abstract

Objective

The objective of this study was to analyze the ease of web-based applications called sisfor_bidanku for midwives in health centers to assess the development of children aged 0–2 years.

Method

This study has received a recommendation of ethical approval with protocol number UH19070398. This research was conducted in the posyandu which is the working area of Campalagian health center, Polewali Mandar district, west Sulawesi, Indonesia. As many as 20 midwives were given the training to detect children's development using sisfor_bidanku application. After they are proficient, they are asked to use the application. The midwives were then given a questionnaire containing questions whether the application was easier to use compared to conventional methods based on paper recording.

Result

There is no statistically significant difference in their views on the ease of use of the application to detect the development of children 0–2 years when compared with conventional methods. Nevertheless, it appears that the frequency of midwives who answered that the application is easier when compared to conventional methods.

Conclusion

The use of applications is easier when compared to conventional ways of detecting child development, but it requires longer socialization and uses so that midwives are more accustomed and feel easy.

Introduction

Growth or developmental delay has become a major problem in children, is the highest cause of morbidity, and is a critical period in cognitive, socioemotional development.^1,2 Around 200 million children under five years old all over the world fail to achieve cognitive and social-emotional development.³ World Health Organization (WHO) reports 5–25% of pre-school-age children to suffer from minor brain dysfunction, including impaired motor development.⁴ Around 16% of children under five in Indonesia experience developmental disorders. Every 2 out of 1000 babies experience impaired motor development and 3 to up to 6 out of 1000 babies experience hearing loss and 1 in 1000 children have less intelligence and delays in speaking.⁵

Children experience rapid development in the brain around the age of <2 years. This period is critical because it occurs once in a child's life, a period of turmoil and a period in which the brain develops rapidly.^6,7 Early detection of child development must be done so that early diagnosis and intervention can be done early to prevent worse effects. Early detection of child development so far is in line with the 2016 RI Ministry of Health guidelines using the Pre Development Screening Questionnaire.^8,9

Technological developments in recent years are developing rapidly, especially in the modern health world which requires technological developments to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its activity programs. This use of web-based applications can help or facilitate the early detection of disease.¹⁰ Some studies show that developmental detection has not run optimally, so that children's health reports are incomplete and not by established standards, especially child development has not run optimally, sometimes the paper containing these questions is scattered or incomplete and does not record the results of each child's screening for documentation. This problem requires a solution to use tools to improve the quality of its performance and the accuracy of results in its recording and reporting.^11,12

Methods

The design used in this study is one group pretest–posttest design. It has received a recommendation of ethical approval from the ethical committee, faculty of medicine, Hasanuddin University, with protocol number UH19070398. This study was conducted in the posyandu which is the working area of Campalagian health center, Polewali Mandar district, west Sulawesi, Indonesia. The conventional method in this study is the detection method of development of children aged 0–2 years using paper forms that are available and are the official standard used. Sisfor_bidanku is a web-based application that pours checks from paper forms into application forms that can be recorded with a smartphone.

The inclusion criteria imposed were midwives must be able to operate computers and use smartphones. As many as 20 midwives were given the training to detect children's development using sisfor_bidanku application. After they are proficient, they are asked to use the application. The midwives were then given a questionnaire containing questions whether the application was easier to use compared to conventional methods based on paper recording.

System design

This application can be found on the website http://www.sisfor-bidanku.com/login and can be used by logging in as shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 1.

Midwife login page design (User).

Result

The characteristics of midwives who participated in this study were the majority under the age of 35 years and working under five years, and the majority also had a three-year diploma education (Table 1).

Table 1.

Characteristics of respondents.

Characteristics	Frequency	%
	N
Age
≤35 years	16	80
>35 years	4	20
Length of working
≤5 years	9	45
>5 years	11	55
Education
3-Year diploma	17	85
4-Year diploma	3	15

The results of the questionnaire regarding the ease of use of sisfor_bidanku application in Table 2 show that more midwives thought that using the application was easier than detecting the growth of children 0–2 years using conventional paper-based records. Even so, there are 5 people who still consider that conventional use is easier (Table 2).

Table 2.

Midwives’ perception of ease of use conventional and web-based.

Grow detection	Not easyn (%)	Quite easyn (%)	Easiern (%)	p-value
Conventional	3 (15)	12 (60)	5 (25)	0.080*
Sisfor_bidanku	3 (15)	5 (25)	12 (60)

*

McNemar test.

Discussion

There is no statistically significant difference in their views on the ease of use of the application to detect the development of children 0–2 years when compared with conventional methods. Nevertheless, it appears that the frequency of midwives who answered that the application is very easy is higher when compared to conventional methods.

Application of Early Detection of Child Development 0–2 years web-based is called Sisfor_Bidanku which means information system for midwives. Sisfor_Bidanku is the result of the design of Early Childhood Growth Intervention Detection Stimulation, which is designed based on web-based guidelines for the Implementation of Early Childhood Growth Stimulation Detection at the Basic Service Level of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia in 2016. Based on the Republic of Indonesia Ministerial Regulation Number 28 of 2017 states that in conducting early detection child development using the Pre Development Screening Questionnaire.⁸

The use of screening with forms that are still recorded on paper has many disadvantages, especially with archiving. Calculations with paper forms will also be done manually. The use of technology-based applications makes it easier to detect and record and calculate. Tabulation, analysis, and interpretation will also be faster if it is based on technology. Technology will be an important part of helping midwives carry out their tasks and activities. This is expected to contribute, although not directly to a decrease in maternal and child mortality.^13,14

Conclusion

The use of applications is easier when compared to conventional ways of detecting child development, but it requires longer socialization and uses so that midwives are more accustomed and feel easy.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.