Title : Developing and validity testing the eFRAIT for the assessment of family resilience by public health nurses
Abstract:
Family resilience can be a predictor for school readiness (Brophy 2022) and family health and well being (Walsh 2017) . In Wales assessment of family resilience is intrinsic to the role of the Specialist Community Public Health Nurse -Health Visitor (SCPHN). Public health policy (Wales Government 2016) and practice in Wales however is not always straight forward. Since 2017 the Family Resilience Assessment Instrument and Tool (FRAIT) has been used by all Specialist Community Public Health Nurse Health Visitors in Wales to provide an evidence based assessment that supports decision making and referrals for support for the families that they work with. Wales is a fairly small country with a population of 3.2 million 152583 of those are children (Stats Wales 2023) who will be assessed by SCPHN HV according to the Health Child Wales programme (Wales Government 2016). Family resilience is assessed using the Family Resilience Assessment Instrument and Tool (FRAIT) (Wallace et al 2017) which have been developed in partnership with PHNHVs. Digitalisation of health systems and health visitor records demands an electronic version of the FRAIT. Academics have worked with the Wales Institute for Digital Information (WIDI) to produce the eFRAIT a digital assessment for family resilience. The eFRAIT has been developed to work across multiple platforms to promote ease of use and integraton with existing digital records. The eFRAIT has been validity tested using the Hydra Minerva high fidelity immersive technology suite at the University of South Wales (Crago ). Eighteen health visitors who regularly use the FRAIT attended the testing event and participated in a post event focus group. Initial analysis of the data indicates a positive response to the eFRAIT with the barrier to use being NHS IT systems. A pilot testing period for eFRAIT use is planned for the Spring- Autumn of 2024 in a large teaching health board. The aim is to conduct another pilot test with another health board in Autumn 2024. There is international interest in use of the eFRAIT and it is anticipated that pilot testing in Wales will lead to a more globalized use of family resilience assessment to support family function globally.
