Effect of Avatar-Based Education Program in Hydrocephalus on Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Complications and Parents' Knowledge and Care Skills: Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trials

Background: Preventing complications of hydrocephalus and educating parents about long-term care is critical. Hydrocephalus is a surprisingly neglected issue, considering its global burden. This study aims to develop an avatar-based education program for hydrocephalus and determine its effect on parents' knowledge, care skills, and shunt complications. Methods: This study is a single-blind, multicenter, randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to an avatar-assisted education program or a standard care control group. Parents' hydrocephalus knowledge, self-assessment of care skills, and shunt complication follow-up list were assessed at one, three, and six months. Results: The study findings showed that the self-assessment scores of the parents in the intervention group regarding their knowledge and care skills about hydrocephalus differed significantly from those of the control group. A significant difference was obtained in the complication parameters in the third and last tests. While there was a significant difference between the sedimentation and C-reactive protein level between the groups, no significant difference was found between the white blood cell count. While there was a significant difference in the body temperature and head circumference between the groups, no significant difference was found between the Glasgow coma scale groups. Conclusions: The avatar-based education program intervention developed for parents of children with hydrocephalus was effective in increasing parents' knowledge and care skills and reducing shunt complications. (c) 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.