title: Game for health: How eHealth approaches might address the psychological needs of children and young people with long-term physical conditions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to describe the psychological experiences of children and young people with long term physical conditions, their families and clinicians and to explore if these may be improved using eHealth interventions, including online information, support and e-therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Totally 11 children (7-12 years), 11 young people (13-18 years), 7 parents, 11 paediatricians and 10 general practitioners participated in a series of seven semi-structured digitally recorded focus groups. A general inductive approach was used to analyse interview data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Feedback consisted of five main themes: (i) the experience of long-term physical conditions as an anxiety-provoking journey, (ii) limited access to information and eHealth-related interventions to support this journey, (iii) desires for interventions that assist with multiple aspects of the illness experience, (iv) diversity of preferences regarding the format and vehicle of such interventions, (v) the importance of trust regarding the source of interventions for children, young people and families and the sustainability of new interventions for clinicians.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  eHealth interventions are currently being used in a limited manner by children and young people with long-term physical conditions and their families. Despite some concern expressed mainly by clinicians, there is overall support from all groups for the future development of eHealth interventions to address psychological issues for this audience, particularly anxiety. Relatable content, technological appeal and ease of access/referral to such interventions are likely to improve the uptake of these relatively new interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Hiran
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thabrew
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stasiak
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Psychology, Counties Manukau District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Garcia-Hoyos
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.|Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Sally N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Merry
keywords: children; chronic illness; e-therapy; eHealth; long-term physical conditions; young people