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Pediatric Otolaryngology During COVID-19: Parental Concern About Elective Surgery
Francesca C Viola1, Lauren DiNardo1, Jason C DeGiovanni2
1Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
Insights
Parents expressed significant concerns about their children undergoing elective surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly regarding emergency room exposure. Black parents showed higher apprehension about COVID-19 risks and surgical procedures.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Otolaryngology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges for healthcare, impacting decisions regarding non-urgent medical procedures.
- Elective surgeries in pediatric populations required careful consideration of risks versus benefits during the pandemic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and quantify parental concerns regarding pediatric elective surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To explore demographic variations in parental concerns, particularly focusing on race.
Main Methods:
- A survey was administered to parents of pediatric otolaryngology patients in December 2020.
- Concerns were measured using a 5-point Likert scale, with demographic data collected.
- Statistical analysis compared concern levels across different demographic groups.
Main Results:
- Parents' highest concern (median=4) was the risk of COVID-19 exposure in the Emergency Room.
- Black parents reported greater concern than White parents regarding COVID-19 transmission during surgery (median=4 vs. 3) and medical expenses (median=3 vs. 2).
- Parents whose children had prior surgery since March 2020 expressed less concern about COVID-19 exposure during hospitalization and external critique.
Conclusions:
- Parental anxiety surrounding elective pediatric surgery during the pandemic was substantial, with a focus on emergency care risks.
- Racial disparities in concern levels were observed, with Black parents exhibiting heightened apprehension.
- Further research is needed to determine if these concerns influence the uptake of essential elective surgeries among Black children.
Objective:
To identify the concerns of parents whose children may need elective surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods:
In December 2020, parents of pediatric otolaryngology patients were recruited for a survey about concerns related to elective surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic. A Likert scale quantified concern. The 1 was anchored "Not at all important" and 5 was "Most important." Demographics included gender, age, race, education level, number of children in household, and whether their child had surgery since March 2020.
Results:
About 253 participants were included. Medians ranged from 1 for concerns about emotional and family support to 4 for concerns about their child being exposed to COVID-19 in the Emergency Room. Black parents were more concerned about the risks of COVID than White parents; they were more concerned about their child contracting COVID-19 during surgery compared to White parents, median was 4 versus 3 (P = .027). Black parents had a median score of 3 for concern about medical expenses compared to a median of 2 (P = .001). Parents of children who had surgery since March 2020 had less concern about their child being exposed to COVID-19 during hospitalization (P = .045) and less concern about critique from others (P = .024).
Conclusion:
Parents were most concerned about the risk of seeking Emergency Room care. Black parents were generally more concerned about having their child undergo elective surgery. Whether this is translated into fewer Black children undergoing important but elective surgery requires more study.
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