Parental perspectives on decision-making about hypospadias surgery

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Surgery
• Decision Science
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Parental decisional conflict and regret are common following hypospadias repair.
• Shared decision-making may mitigate these negative outcomes by involving parents and physicians.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a theoretical framework of the parental decision-making process for hypospadias surgery.
• To inform the creation of a decision aid for parents considering hypospadias repair.

Main Methods:

• Semistructured interviews were conducted with parents of children with hypospadias.
• Grounded theory methods, including iterative coding, were used to analyze interview data.
• Explored parental roles, emotions, informational needs, and influences on decision-making.

Main Results:

• Identified four stages in the surgical decision-making process: diagnosis processing, information synthesis, emotion processing, and decision finalization.
• Parents' primary concerns included anesthesia risks and separation during surgery.
• Information was gathered from the internet, medical providers, and social networks to reduce anxiety and build trust.

Conclusions:

• The study provides an initial framework for understanding parental decision-making in hypospadias surgery.
• This framework will guide the development of a decision aid to support parents.
• Future research will aim to include a more diverse sample, including fathers, minorities, and same-sex couples.