Study stages
- We will ask parents to read information about the study and complete an online consent form.
- Parents will complete the first set of online questionnaires.
- We will put all parents who completed these questionnaires into two equal groups: the STEPS group will receive the app and will be asked to use it for 3 months, the CONTROL group will stay on the waitlist as usual without access to the app.
- Parents in both groups will complete online questionnaires four more times: at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after joining the study.
- Parents in the CONTROL group will receive the STEPS app at the end of the 12 months.
When we have information from all parents, we will analyse it to see if the STEPS app was helpful to the families that were using it and whether it was good value for money to the NHS. We will publish these results in a scientific journal. If you’d like to find out more about the results or the publication, please check the ‘News & Updates’ tab in 2025.
The benefits of participation in OPTIMA
By taking part in our research, parents are helping us to get vital information that could lead to improving the support for many families in the future. If we can show that the STEPS app provides a really useful support for parents, then it may be that the app could eventually be made available to families outside of the OPTIMA study.
We also hope that STEPS will provide those taking part with a set of useful tools to refer to and apply in their role as parents.
As a thank you for taking part, each parent will receive up to £65 in online shopping vouchers: participating children will also receive up to £15 in book vouchers.
Taking part in OPTIMA will not affect your child’s progress through local clinical services. All the study information sheets that explain in detail what is involved in taking part and other useful study leaflets can be found in ‘Resources’.
Discover our list of useful study leaflets.
Parents' feedback
Testimonials and parents’ feedback about the STEPS app
