JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Leisure participation is essential for children’s health and well-being and is also a fundamental human right; however, children and youth with disabilities face significant barriers to participation compared to their peers without disabilities. The Jooay App was developed to address gaps in information and access to adaptive and inclusive leisure activities. A new gamification-based version of the Jooay App was co-designed with users, including youth with disabilities, parents, and healthcare professionals.

Objective:

This study aims to describe a study protocol to implement and evaluate the gamification-based version of the Jooay App using a patient-oriented approach to increase awareness about adaptive and inclusive leisure activities and promote participation in leisure among children and youth with disabilities.

Methods:

A hybrid type II effectiveness-implementation study will be conducted. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) will guide implementation strategies, including the expansion of knowledge broker (KB) networks to raise the profile of adaptive and inclusive leisure activities in Canada. An interrupted time series (ITS) design will be used to evaluate implementation outcomes across five regions in Canada. Process evaluation will analyze inner and outer setting characteristics, KB strategies, and community resource mobilization. Effectiveness outcomes will be assessed through two phases: (1) a non-randomized mixed-methods pilot feasibility study of the app, where acceptability, engagement, implementation, and potential benefits will be measured, and (2) an ITS at the population-level, where overall app usage (e.g., clicks, logins, time spent), individual gamification features metrics, and user feedback will assess effectiveness outcomes.

Results:

Findings will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, educational materials, social media, community events, and reports. Outputs will include a summary of findings in lay language, in both French and English, including short videos, infographics, and posters for various social media platforms. Community organizations will assist in further dissemination through their networks.

Conclusions:

This study will evaluate both the effectiveness and implementation of the gamified Jooay mobile app to promote participation in leisure among children and youth with disabilities using a hybrid effectiveness–implementation design. By applying the CFIR frameworks, this study aims to generate evidence on how the Jooay app can be effectively implemented across Canada and expand the scholarship on the implementation of technology for equity-deserving groups. The effectiveness and implementation findings are expected to inform both pediatric clinical practice and future implementation efforts of mHealth technology. Clinical Trial: Not Applicable