Testing a Measurement Feedback App to Improve Data Quality, Supervision & Outcomes in Behavioral Health

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · Jun 24, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is testing a new smartphone app called "Footsteps" to see if it can help improve the way aides who support children with behavioral challenges collect information about those children’s behaviors and progress. The study focuses on school-aged children (ages 4 to 17) who have conditions like autism, ADHD, or oppositional defiant disorder, and who receive one-on-one support from aides in schools. Researchers want to find out if using Footsteps helps aides gather better and more timely data, improves communication between aides and their supervisors, and ultimately leads to better outcomes for the children.

To take part, aides need to work for a community behavioral health agency in Philadelphia or nearby counties and support at least one eligible child in school. Supervisors who oversee these aides can also participate. During the 12-week study, aides will use either the Footsteps app or a simpler app to record information about the child’s behaviors and skills. They will also complete short surveys every two weeks about their experience and communication with supervisors. Some participants may be invited to join a brief interview to share more about using the app. This study has not yet started recruiting but aims to include 30 pairs of aides and supervisors to better understand how this app might improve care for children with behavioral challenges.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Aides must be employed by a community behavior health agency in Philadelphia or one of its surrounding counties
• • and be working with at least one client in school who meets the following criteria: 1) between 4-17 years, 2) has a diagnosis associated with a challenging behavior (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder) as indicated on their treatment plan, and 3) receiving 1:1 aide support.
• • Supervisors must be employed by a community behavior health agency and supervise a participating aide. The investigators will recruit supervisors in dyads and not triads (i.e., no supervisors with two \[or more\] aides) to ensure there are 30 supervisor-aide dyads in total).
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Aides who participated in the pilot trial of the Footsteps will be excluded from participating to recruit a sample naïve to Footsteps and the control app.