E072 PaEdiatric Rheumatology FramEworK for Technology enabled care: a mixed methods study to investigate current practices, experiences and perspectives: The PeRFekT study

Background/Aims Children and young people in rheumatology services are mainly managed from the outpatient setting. Technology enabled care (TEC) may be able to support outpatient management, but variable practices exist with minimal robust evidence to guide technology use. Children and young people are known to be ‘tech savvy’. Therefore, it appears plausible that their technology knowledge and experience could better support their care management in conjunction with healthcare professionals. The aim was to investigate what TEC practices are taking place and how they can be used to support and improve the management of children and young people across UK paediatric rheumatology departments. Methods Thirty-seven UK centres known to care for children and young people with rheumatological conditions were approached to take part in a mixed-methods study. Participants included multidisciplinary healthcare professionals, patients aged 11-17 years, and parents. Participants were asked to complete an online semi-structured survey by local research teams in clinic or remotely using digital communication, or participants could self-enrol using QR codes on study posters. Survey questions and interview topic guides were developed with patients and healthcare staff. Screening and consent were self-led online. Survey participants had the option to leave contact details to take part in an interview or focus group. Simple descriptive statistics and content analysis for open-ended questions are being used to analyse survey data. Framework analysis is currently underway to analyse qualitative data. Data will be integrated using the Pillar Integration Process. Ethical approval was received from the Health Research Authority (Project ID 330883) in December 2024 and the project was accepted onto the National Institute for Health and Care Research Associate Principal Investigator scheme to encourage recruitment and support the development of local nurse PIs. Results Seventeen sites opened to recruitment and are closing during October 2025. Currently, 69 healthcare professionals and 91 children and young people have completed the online survey. Nineteen healthcare professionals and 13 children and young people interviews have been completed. Five parents and 7 patients participated in separate focus groups. Analysis is underway and suggests participants have varying perceptions and approaches to TEC. The vast majority of consultations take place in person and many frustrations remain when healthcare technologies aren’t used to their potential. Preliminary TEC qualitative themes found are: ‘community of practices’, ‘the live consultation’, ‘self-management’, ‘access and engagement’, and ‘integration into the NHS’. Conclusion Healthcare professionals, patients and their parents appear keen to learn more about TEC in the context of rheumatology management. It is hoped that this mixed-methods study will contribute important findings to be used to inform future guidance in managing children and young people with conditions seen within rheumatology services. Disclosure H.A. Rostron: None.