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Parents' Adherence to Follow-up Testing Instructions Following Hospital Discharge
Itai Gross1, Lina Berkun2, Dema Egbaria3
1Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
Insights
Parental adherence to post-hospitalization follow-up testing is crucial. Physicians should explain test value and schedule appointments to improve adherence, especially for infants and older children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Healthcare Management
- Patient Adherence Research
Background:
- Post-hospitalization follow-up testing adherence is variable.
- Understanding factors influencing adherence is critical for patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess parental adherence to post-hospitalization follow-up testing instructions.
- To identify key factors influencing this adherence in pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- Survey administered to parents of 200 children regarding adherence.
- Analysis of adherence rates based on age and appointment scheduling.
- Identification of primary reasons for non-adherence.
Main Results:
- Non-adherence was observed in 10.9% of cases (20 out of 194).
- Lower adherence rates were noted in infants (<12 months) and older children (>10 years).
- Children discharged with a scheduled test appointment showed higher adherence (96%) versus those without (86.6%).
Conclusions:
- Physician communication regarding the necessity and importance of follow-up tests is vital.
- Scheduling follow-up test appointments prior to hospital discharge can significantly improve adherence rates.
- Targeted strategies may be needed for younger infants and older children to enhance compliance.
Abstract:
The adherence to follow-up testing instructions post-hospitalization is influenced by a variety of factors. Our aim was to assess the parental adherence to follow-up instructions and identify the factors that influence it. Parents of 200 children were asked about their adherence with these instructions; responses were obtained from 184 of 200. Parents did not adhere in 20 of 194 (10.9%) of cases. Families of infants under 12 months and children older than 10 years had lower adherence rates. Test completion was more frequent for children discharged with a test appointment compared with those discharged without an appointment (96% vs 86.6%; P = .07). The main reasons for non-adherence were disagreement as to the value of the testing (45%) or parental misunderstanding (30%). In conclusion, in order to increase adherence with post-hospitalization follow-up testing, physicians should focus on explaining the need and importance of the test and schedule an appointment prior to discharge.
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