I-JGZ: Promoting young people's health through digital innovation

In youth healthcare services, the development of children – mainly those aged 0-4 – is assessed using the Van Wiechen Survey, based on fixed contact times. As youth healthcare is being made more flexible, it is important that the Van Wiechen survey is also further developed to take account of this. TNO has therefore set up Van Wiechen Continue to enable professionals to assess a child's development at any time.

In addition, the development of the individual child becomes the starting point for the discussion, rather than any deviations. This makes for a more attractive option for parents, as it can help them prepare for the next step in their child's development. Moreover, appropriate information can be provided. Smart alerts issued from the guideline-based digital record can ensure that any medical examinations required are carried out in a timely manner, even when contact times and the disciplines deployed vary.

Using a SmartGlass in youth healthcare services allows a professional to be flexible in terms of where and how they work, which can improve efficiency and customer service. In addition, remote care, e.g. via video calls, makes it easier for parents to communicate with professionals about the growth and development of their child. No longer do parents always have to come to the consultation centre and questions can be asked and answered in an accessible manner. TNO has a wealth of experience in implementing this type of innovation in healthcare.

Guidelines and growth charts are an important basis for (early) warning systems and providing appropriate help. TNO has developed several data-driven decision support systems, based on the guidelines and growth charts, which are linked to the digital record.

For example, the "Smart guideline module" generates youth healthcare guidelines, e.g. for height, weight and language development, based on data in the child's record. Observations, conclusions and recommendations are then shared with the professional involved. And with JAMES, big data allows maternity and youth care professionals to identify vulnerabilities in families earlier and decide on appropriate care with them. JAMES provides personalised growth charts, presenting the child's data in a chart that best fits the child's profile.

TNO's bespoke advice function allows parents to obtain appropriate support for their child. This application analyses data on the child's height and weight, informs parents whether the child is growing as expected and contributes to parental empowerment. The information is provided, for example, through the Growth Guide app. This app allows parents to track their children's growth and provides reliable and validated information on these topics.

TNO's videos for parents are a major development of the Van Wiechen Survey. Viewing Van Wiechen videos on Topform allows parents to get a better picture of their child's development, monitor this for themselves and discuss the results with youth healthcare services.

Finally, through ePartners4All we are providing primary school children with appropriate support for their communicative and social-emotional development. This will help them become stronger individuals. A key component of ePartners4All is a personal robot buddy that helps them develop self-confidence, social skills and deal with emotions.