The Centre for Behavioural Medicine in collaboration with Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston recently launched an exciting new study, A Mixed-Methods Assessment of Perceptions of an Oleogel System among Parents in South Africa.

The study explores parents' perceptions of an innovative oleogel system – a soft, food-grade gel designed to make it easier to administer medications, including antibiotics, to young children. By delivering medicine in a smooth gel rather than as a tablet or liquid, this technology has the potential to make medication easier to administer, particularly for young children who struggle to swallow medicine or refuse treatment.

As part of the study, we developed an animated educational video to introduce parents to the oleogel system. The animation explains what an oleogel is, how it is made, how it could be used to administer medication, and the evidence supporting its safety and potential effectiveness. After watching the video, participating mothers share their views on the technology, including its acceptability, perceived benefits and concerns, and whether they would consider using it to administer medication to their children.

The findings will help us better understand parents' perspectives on this medication delivery system and inform the future development, design, and implementation of oleogel technology. 

Quantitative data collection has now been completed, and qualitative data collection is currently underway. We look forward to sharing our findings in the coming months!

Watch the animation on Youtube here to learn more about oleogel and the information that was presented to participants during the study!