Parent Preferences for Shared Decision-making in Acute Versus Chronic Illness.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric healthcare
• Patient-centered care
• Health psychology

Background:

• Shared decision-making (SDM) is crucial in pediatric care.
• Parental involvement in decision-making varies based on illness type and parental perception.
• Understanding these preferences is key to improving healthcare experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare SDM preferences in parents of acutely versus chronically ill children.
• To investigate how illness severity and uncertainty perception influence these preferences.
• To inform tailored approaches to SDM in pediatric inpatient settings.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional survey of 200 parents of hospitalized children.
• Utilized validated tools to assess SDM preferences and illness uncertainty.
• Analyzed data using descriptive and multivariable statistics, stratified by acute vs. chronic illness.

Main Results:

• Most parents preferred active (43%) or collaborative (40%) roles in SDM.
• No demographic associations found with SDM preference.
• Parents of chronically ill children with high illness uncertainty significantly preferred a passive role.

Conclusions:

• The majority of parents desire active or collaborative participation in SDM.
• Illness uncertainty is a significant factor influencing passive role preference among parents of chronically ill children.
• Healthcare providers should acknowledge the complexity of parental decision-making preferences.