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Fever education: does it reduce parent fever anxiety?
K O'Neill-Murphy1, M Liebman, J H Barnsteiner
1Emergency Department, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. murphyk@email.chop.edu
Pediatric Emergency Care
|March 27, 2001
Summary
Fever education programs, whether interactive or written, effectively reduce parental fever anxiety and improve home management skills. These programs also decrease unnecessary emergency department visits by empowering parents with accurate fever information.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Health Education
- Anxiety Management
Background:
- Parental anxiety regarding childhood fever is common.
- Effective fever management education is crucial for reducing healthcare utilization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of fever education programs on parental fever anxiety.
- To compare the effectiveness of interactive versus written fever education.
- To evaluate the effect of fever education on home management and emergency department (ED) return visits.
Main Methods:
- A quasiexperimental, pretest-post-test pilot study.
- Involved 87 parents and children (3 months to 5 years) presenting with fever.
- Utilized interactive and written fever education materials.
Main Results:
- Both interactive and written programs equally reduced moderate-to-severe fever anxiety by 30%.
- Parental fever home management skills improved, including correct thermometer and antipyretic use.
- Unnecessary return emergency department (ED) visits were reduced.
Conclusions:
- Fever education programs, particularly interactive ones, benefit parents in various care settings.
- Key components include fever definition, thermometer use, home management, and telephone follow-up.
- Empowering parents improves fever management and reduces healthcare burdens.