How well are parent held records kept and completed?

Area of Science:

• Child Health
• Public Health Policy
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Traditional child health and development records are often clinic-held.
• Parental involvement in healthcare is increasingly recognized as crucial for positive outcomes.
• Accessibility and completeness of health records impact care quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness and parental satisfaction of parent-held versus clinic-held child health records.
• To assess record availability, completion rates, and parental preferences.
• To evaluate the feasibility and desirability of parent-held health record systems.

Main Methods:

• A comparative audit was conducted in Oxfordshire, UK, comparing two areas with different record-keeping systems.
• 284 parents with parent-held records and 168 parents with clinic-held records were interviewed.
• Data collected included record availability, reasons for unavailability, record completion by parents and professionals, and parental views.

Main Results:

• Parent-held records were generally preferred by parents, who felt more confident managing them.
• 7% of parent-held records were lost/forgotten, compared to 5% of clinic-held records being unavailable.
• Parent-held records showed higher rates of parental contributions and more thorough completion by professionals.

Conclusions:

• Parent-held child health and development records are a workable and desirable system.
• Implementing parent-held records can enhance record completeness and parental engagement in child healthcare.
• The study supports the broader adoption of parent-held record systems in child health services.