Caregiver Perceptions of Digital Signage for Injury Prevention Education in a Pediatric Emergency Department

Maury Strong, MD
Nicholas Watkins, MD
Breanna Johnson
Jenna Joshi
Chenhao Zhao

Unintentional injury remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children. The pediatric emergency department (ED) waiting room represents an underutilized opportunity for caregiver education. Digital signage offers a scalable, passive method to deliver injury prevention information without increasing staff burden; however, caregiver preferences for this modality are not well defined.

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of adult caregivers of pediatric patients in the waiting room of a Level 1 pediatric trauma center approached during business hours June-July 2025. We assessed interest in receiving injury prevention information during wait times, perceived impact on the ED experience, preferred education delivery methods, willingness to access additional information via QR code, and topics of interest. Demographic and visit characteristics were collected. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize responses, and group comparisons were performed using Pearson’s chi-squared test or Fisher’s exact tests.

A total of 500 caregivers completed the survey. Over half of caregivers expressed interest in receiving injury prevention information on digital monitors in the ED waiting room (57.2%), and 60.6% reported that such information could improve their ED experience. Digital monitors were the most preferred method of education delivery (49.2%), compared to no preference (20.2%), in-person counseling (16.8%), and paper handouts (12.6%). Additionally, 59.8% of caregivers reported willingness to scan a QR code to access additional information. Subgroup analyses demonstrated statistically significant differences in perceptions based on caregiver demographics, including age, sex, relationship to the child, education level, and socioeconomic status. Younger caregivers and those with higher levels of education were more likely to prefer digital monitors and perceive them as beneficial to their ED experience. Caregivers who preferred digital monitors were significantly more likely to report that monitors would improve their experience (88.9% vs 60.0%, p < 0.001) and expressed greater willingness to engage with QR code-based resources (81.2% vs 49.0%, p <0.001). Similar patterns were observed across multiple injury prevention topic preferences, with consistently higher engagement among caregivers favoring digital delivery methods. Across all respondents, the most preferred injury prevention topics were water safety, choking prevention, and home safety.

Caregivers in the pediatric ED waiting room most commonly identified digital signage as their preferred method for receiving injury prevention education, with nearly half selecting it over other modalities. Digital signage represents a feasible and scalable approach to delivering passive education in the ED waiting room and may enhance the overall caregiver experience. A majority of caregivers also expressed willingness to access additional information electronically via QR codes, supporting the integration of interactive components. The most preferred injury prevention topics included water safety, choking prevention, and home safety. Future work should evaluate the impact of digital signage on knowledge retention and injury prevention behaviors.

1. Caregiver preferences for injury prevention education delivery methods in the pediatric emergency department waiting room
2. Impact of digital signage on caregiver perception of the emergency department experience
3. Key injury prevention topics of interest and opportunities for integrating digital and interactive educational strategies in clinical settings