Parents as information intermediaries between primary care and specialty physicians

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Healthcare
• Communication in Medicine
• Patient-Physician Relationship

Background:

• Effective communication between primary care pediatricians and specialists is vital for optimal child healthcare.
• Parents often serve as crucial information intermediaries in pediatric specialty referrals.
• Understanding parental and physician perspectives on this intermediary role is essential for improving care coordination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess parents' and physicians' views on parents' roles as information intermediaries between primary care and specialty pediatric care.
• To compare the perceived responsibilities and comfort levels of parents and physicians regarding information exchange.
• To identify factors influencing parents' comfort in acting as primary communicators.

Main Methods:

• Survey of 179 newly referred pediatric patients, their parents, primary care pediatricians, and specialists.
• Questionnaires administered via mail or telephone at initial visit and 6-month follow-up.
• Analysis of perceived parental roles, comfort levels, and agreement between parents and providers using logistic regression.

Main Results:

• Parents (44%) reported greater comfort than primary care physicians (30%) in acting as primary information intermediaries.
• A significant portion of parents (31%) felt uncomfortable in this role, despite reporting it.
• No agreement was found between parents and physicians regarding the parent's role in individual cases; however, repeated specialist visits increased parental comfort.

Conclusions:

• Parents express higher comfort than physicians in the intermediary role, but this comfort is variable.
• Physicians should proactively discuss and clarify parental roles in information exchange during specialty referrals.
• Open communication is key to aligning expectations and supporting parents in their intermediary function.