Parental Factors Affecting Pediatric Medication Management in Underserved Communities.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Health Literacy Research
• Medication Safety

Background:

• Medication errors and adverse drug events are prevalent in pediatric care.
• Limited English proficiency and low health literacy correlate with poor medication adherence and adverse health outcomes.
• Underserved communities face unique challenges in pediatric medication management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore parental factors influencing medication management in underserved communities.
• To identify barriers to safe and effective pediatric medication administration.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing focus group discussions with parents and healthcare professionals.
• Data collected from December 2019 to September 2020.
• Thematic analysis used to identify key themes impacting medication management.

Main Results:

• Four primary factors identified: 1) limited health literacy and perceived inadequacy in medication administration, 2) communication gaps (caregiver-caregiver and provider-caregiver), 3) scarcity of pediatric medication education resources, and 4) personal beliefs influencing medication decisions.
• Eleven focus groups conducted with 45 participants (18 parents in English, 11 parents in Spanish, 16 healthcare professionals).

Conclusions:

• A combination of knowledge gaps, communication issues, resource limitations, and personal beliefs increases medication error risk for children in underserved areas.
• Findings provide a basis for developing targeted interventions to optimize pediatric medication delivery and improve health outcomes.