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Parent perceptions of the value of Pediatric Neurology Clinic visits
J M Dooley1, K E Gordon, E P Wood
1Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University and the IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Insights
Parents prefer conventional pediatric clinic visits over alternative care methods like telehealth. Only 10% found alternate delivery acceptable, highlighting a need to consider family preferences in pediatric healthcare design.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Healthcare Delivery
- Healthcare Technology Adoption
- Patient-Centered Care
Background:
- Limited data exists on parental acceptance of alternative pediatric care delivery methods.
- This pilot study investigated parental perceptions of conventional clinic visits and alternative care options.
- Understanding these perceptions is crucial for designing effective pediatric healthcare services.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore parental perceptions of conventional pediatric clinic visits.
- To assess parental attitudes towards alternative methods of pediatric care delivery.
- To inform the development of new pediatric care models.
Main Methods:
- A pilot study involving 200 children attending a tertiary-care Pediatric Neurology Clinic in Nova Scotia, Canada.
- Families completed questionnaires before and after clinic visits.
- Response rates were 86% for the initial questionnaire and 69% for the post-visit questionnaire.
Main Results:
- 85% of children experienced school absenteeism, and 19% of parents reported lost wages due to clinic visits.
- Only 10% of parents found alternative assessment methods (telephone, video conference, nurse practitioner) acceptable.
- Willingness to accept telephone assessment was linked to the perception that the initial visit was unnecessary.
Conclusions:
- Conventional pediatric clinic visits are generally preferred by families in this study.
- There is low acceptance of alternative care delivery methods among parents of pediatric patients.
- Future pediatric care models must consider parental preferences for conventional settings.
Background:
There is little data available on the acceptability to parents, of alternate methods of delivering care to their children. This pilot study explored parents' perceptions of conventional clinic visits and their attitudes to potential alternative methods of delivering care.
Methods:
Questionnaires were completed by the families of 200 consecutive children before and after a visit to a tertiary-care Pediatric Neurology Clinic in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Results:
Responses were received from 172 (86%) for the first questionnaire and 138 (69%) for the second. There were 59 new referrals, 76 follow-up visits and 39 were seen because of new concerns. Visiting the clinic resulted in school absenteeism for 85% of the children and lost pay for 19% of the parents. Telephone, video conference or replacement of the physician by a nurse practitioner were acceptable alternate methods of assessment for only 10%. The only factor which was associated with willingness to accept telephone as an assessment modality was an initial opinion that the visit was unnecessary.
Conclusion:
Escalating health care costs and limited specialist availability demand consideration of alternate methods of care delivery. Although adults seem comfortable with care outside the usual clinic setting, there is little data for the pediatric setting. The responses from the parents attending our clinic, indicate that families were happy with services offered in the conventional clinic. In contrast, only 10% found potential alternate methods acceptable. These opinions must be considered in the design of new methods of caring for children.
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