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Congenital cardiac surgery and parental perception of risk: a qualitative study
Robyn R Lotto1, Ian D Jones1, Rafael Guerrero2
1Faculty of Health, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
Insights
Parental understanding of congenital cardiac surgery risks is complex. Effective communication and the doctor-parent relationship are crucial for managing parental risk perception and ensuring informed decision-making.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric cardiac surgery
- Parental risk perception
- Doctor-patient communication
Background:
- Parental interpretation of risks associated with congenital cardiac surgery is not well-documented.
- Clinicians worry about parental comprehension of complex surgical procedures.
- Some parents feel risks are overemphasized by healthcare providers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how parents perceive and encounter risk when their children undergo cardiac surgery.
- To inform the delivery of compassionate and effective care for these families.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study employing in-depth interviews with 18 parents (10 mothers, 8 fathers).
- Verbatim transcription and constant comparative analysis of interview data.
Main Results:
- Three key themes emerged: the complex nature of risk perception influenced by the doctor-parent relationship; how risk information is presented and interpreted; and parents' engagement with risk and its impact on their relationships.
- Parental risk perception is multifaceted and influenced by the quality of the doctor-parent relationship.
Conclusions:
- Parental perception of risk in pediatric cardiac surgery is complex and influenced by multiple factors.
- The doctor-parent relationship is central to parental engagement with risk information.
- Parents utilize various, sometimes seemingly irrational, mechanisms to manage risk and uncertainty, impacting informed decision-making.
Introduction:
The way risk is interpreted by parents of children undergoing congenital cardiac surgery is poorly documented. Literature suggests clinicians have concerns that parents may not understand the complexity of procedures. Conversely, some parents perceive an unnecessary over-emphasis of risks.
Aim:
To explore how risk is encountered by parents of children who are undergoing cardiac surgery, in order to deliver effective and compassionate care.
Methods:
A qualitative approach was adopted. Interviews were undertaken with 18 parents (mothers n = 10; fathers n = 8). Recordings were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a constant comparative-based approach.
Findings:
Three themes emerged from the data: the nature of risk, reflecting the complexity of parental perception of risk and the influence of the doctor-parent relationship; presenting risk, highlighting the way in which risk is presented to and interpreted by parents; and risk and responsibility, examining the way in which parents engaged with risk and the impact of this on their relationship.
Conclusions:
The way in which risk is perceived by parents is complex and multi-factorial. The doctor-parent relationship is key to parental engagement. However, parents manage risk and uncertainty through a number of mechanisms, including those perceived as being not rational. This can cause tension, particularly when required to engage in informed decision-making.
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