arXiv subjects

Neda Barbazi

Publications and source records attributed to Neda Barbazi.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Octo's Adventure: At-home Deployment of a Pediatric Education Tool

Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) and their families often navigate educational, emotional, and communication challenges regarding care management outside clinical settings. However, many pediatric health intervention studies rely on caregiver-mediated feedback or structured evaluations, limiting visibility into children's direct experiences during everyday use. We present a one-week at-home deployment study of Octo, a hybrid physical-digital educational tool designed to support children's health literacy and reduce parental educational burden. Extending participatory design approaches into deployment, the study embedded child-friendly reflection activities, drawing-based feedback, and emotional tracking into family routines. We conducted the deployment with 13 families of children diagnosed with CHD. Preliminary findings suggest that children gained understanding across Octo's physical and digital components, expressed emotional attachment and confidence through play, and engaged in collaborative family communication about their condition. These findings will guide future refinement of Octo and inform future clinical deployment across care settings.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2026

Growing With the Condition: Co-Designing Pediatric Technologies that Adapt Across Developmental Stages

Children with chronic conditions face evolving challenges in daily activities, peer relationships, and clinical care. Younger children often rely on parental support, while older ones seek independence. Prior studies on chronic conditions explored proxy-based, family-centered, and playful approaches to support children's health, but most technologies treat children as a homogeneous group rather than adapting to their developmental differences. To address this gap, we conducted four co-design workshops with 69 children with congenital heart disease (CHD) at a medically supported camp, spanning elementary, middle, and high school groups. Our analysis reveals distinct coping strategies: elementary children relied on comfort objects and reassurance, middle schoolers used mediated communication and selective disclosure, and high schoolers emphasized agency and direct engagement with peers and providers. Through child-centered participatory design, we contribute empirical insights into how children's management of chronic conditions evolves and propose design implications for pediatric health technologies that adapt across developmental trajectories.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2025

Octo's Heartland: Supporting Children with Congenital Heart Disease through Digital Health Education

Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) often face challenges that require them to understand complex medical information from an early age in order to support lifelong care and improve health outcomes. However, prior research has rarely included young children in designing and evaluating digital tools to support health education using developmentally appropriate strategies. This study is part of a multi-phase research involving participatory design (PD), user testing, and iterative development. We present the design and refinement of a digital application that introduces basic information about CHD, including heart anatomy and healthy habits, through metaphor-based gameplay. User testing sessions with 30 children informed the redesign of interactive activities aligned with specific health conditions. Findings highlight usability, engagement, and comprehension outcomes and reveal design opportunities for supporting health literacy through serious game (SG) principles. These results inform the next phase, including further testing, refinement, and deployment in home and clinical settings.

cs.HC↗