Parental perspectives on the transfer process for critically ill children.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric critical care
• Healthcare logistics
• Patient and family experience

Background:

• Interfacility transfer of critically ill children is a complex process.
• Parental stress is a significant factor impacting the child's care and family well-being during transport.
• Understanding parental stressors and identifying effective mitigation strategies is crucial for improving care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore and understand the stressors experienced by parents during the interfacility transfer of critically ill children.
• To identify potential strategies and interventions that can mitigate parental stress during these transfers.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive qualitative multi-case study design was employed.
• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with caregivers of children admitted to the Paediatric Critical Care Unit.
• Content analysis of interview transcripts identified key themes related to stressors and stress mitigators.

Main Results:

• Key parental stressors included patient pain, separation anxiety, feeling uninvolved, transport anxiety, logistical costs, and lack of support.
• Identified stress mitigators involved parental accompaniment, immediate access to the child, parental involvement in care, and strong support systems.
• Effective communication and trust in the transport team were also vital for reducing parental stress.

Conclusions:

• Parental perspectives are critical in understanding the interfacility transfer experience for critically ill children.
• Stakeholders at referral, transport, and accepting facilities should review and enhance current transport protocols.
• Incorporating identified stress mitigators can significantly improve the transport experience for children and their families.