Exploring the potential of a school-based online health and wellbeing screening tool: professional stakeholders and young people's perspectives and experiences

BackgroundSupporting young people's mental and physical health is a global policy priority, but detecting need facilitating access to services support challenging. We aimed explore the perspectives of people professional stakeholders acceptability, utility, effectiveness school-based online wellbeing screening tool, Digital Health Contact (DHC), which has linked follow-up support. The DHC was initially piloted in 2017, been running ever since.MethodsDelivered by Public School Nurses (PHSN) East Midlands, aims identify put place strategies meet unmet needs among people. As part wider evaluation intervention, we carried out semistructured interviews. Data were analysed thematically. data management software NVivo 12 used facilitate coding. Ethical approval for study granted University Sheffield. Written informed consent obtained from all participants.FindingsBetween Aug 2, 2020, June 8, 2021, interviews with 14 key involved design implementation (two commissioners, one provider, six PHSN, two health-care staff, three school leaders; 13 female, male) 29 (aged 13–14 years old; 21 eight who had participated DHC. Young perceived as an acceptable useful way discussing needs. delivery method context (online, at home, school), knowledge involvement PHSN delivering DHC, noted honest responses greater amounts engagement. Stakeholders universal application intervention effective means identifying supporting needs, efficient target limited service resources. There barriers around enabling engagement typically terms logistics, infrastructure, fit schools. These seen be negated through developing working relationships between schools.InterpretationThe consistently tool providing those receiving it. DHC's approach great potential could adopted more widely help people.FundingThis project funded National Institute Research (SPHR-PHPES009-DHC).