Initiation and maintenance of BTFs is not only feasible in a medically complex pediatric population but can also be associated with improved clinical outcomes and increased intestinal bacterial diversity.

Objectives Parents of children with medical complexity are often expected to implement complicated plans of care, such as enteral tube feeding, to support the health of their child. Enteral feeding can have psychosocial implications for the parent, child, and family. Blenderized tube feeding (BTF) refers to the administration of pureed food and drinks through a feeding tube. Little is known regarding parents’ experiences with BTF. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the lived experience of BTF from the parent’s perspective. Methods This qualitative study was a grounded theory analysis utilizing semi-structured interviews of parents who provided at least 50% of their child’s diet through BTF. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling from the Complex Care Program at a tertiary care paediatric centre. Interviews were conducted until thematic saturation was achieved. Themes were identified using constant comparative analysis of transcribed interviews. Results Parents (n=10) felt that BTF positively affected the experience of tube feeding and enhanced their child’s health and wellbeing. Parents described BTF as a means of self-empowerment and a mechanism to normalize feeding and care for the entire family. Despite reporting BTF as more time consuming than formula feeding, all parents were satisfied with having made the change, and planned on continuing the diet. Conclusion BTFs can improve the experience of tube feeding and positively address some of the negative psychosocial implications of enteral tube feeding, providing a sense of normalcy and control for parents caring for a child with medical complexity.

Adoption of intelligent personal assistants (IPA) is on the rise. Published studies on IPAs often focus on the analysis and critique of existing IPA features without understanding specific user needs that the technology aims to address. We present an exploratory study that gathered user recommendations for the design of their ideal IPA. The study relied on focus group and content analysis methods for data collection and analysis. Major themes in participants’ recommendations for IPA design were identified and included feature improvements (e.g. speech recognition, input/output modalities, device feedback); customizability and increased control over IPA features and functions; transparency and understanding of IPA hardware, software, and data management processes; personification; compatibility with third-party platforms; accessibility; and aesthetics. Many of these recommendations are rooted in basic user experience design principles and have been previously discussed in the context of PDAs (personal digital assistants) and other technology. Addressing these recommendations would advance IPA technology and improve user experiences with it.

Background: Typical college students experience stressors every day. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine college students’ perceptions of stress and coping mechanisms. Method: A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, descriptive research design was used to assess students’ perception of stress and coping mechanisms. To collect data, a survey tool was used to answer 6 demographic and twenty-five survey items on a 4-point Likert-type scale. Two central research questions guided the study: (1) What are college students’ perceptions of stress? and (2) What are college students’ perceptions of coping mechanisms? Results: The responses to these questions were analyzed and the implications are discussed. Conclusion: College students agree that college life is stressful and that their level of stress increases significantly before exams. In addition, students reported that expectations to excel in classes cause additional stress. Students reported a variety of coping mechanisms, including listening to music, socializing with friends/family, and sitting alone in a quiet place.