Parent Perspectives on Family-Centered Pediatric Electronic Consultations: Qualitative Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Healthcare
• Health Informatics
• Patient Engagement

Background:

• Electronic consultations (e-consults) improve access to specialty care by transferring clinical information.
• Adoption of e-consults is growing in pediatrics, but parent perspectives are largely unknown.
• Understanding parent needs is crucial for successful e-consult implementation in pediatric care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore parent views on pediatric electronic consultations.
• To identify perceived benefits and risks associated with e-consults.
• To understand parent informational needs and engagement preferences for e-consults.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving semistructured interviews with 20 caregivers of pediatric patients.
• Caregivers were recruited from an academic primary care center.
• Interviews focused on general perspectives, desired information, and engagement preferences regarding e-consults.

Main Results:

• Parents anticipate e-consults will reduce time burdens and improve information integrity but are concerned about data confidentiality.
• Key informational needs center on data security: confidentiality, availability, and integrity.
• Parents expressed concern about potential exclusion from healthcare decisions and showed mixed feelings about read-only access to documentation.

Conclusions:

• Parents recognize both benefits and risks of pediatric e-consults.
• Findings highlight the need for clear communication regarding e-consults.
• Incorporating features to enhance parent engagement is essential for this care model.