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Parental perspectives of a child-friendly Emergency department
Kadriye Ozyazici1, Sibel Aydin2, Oguz Emre3
1Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Yildizeli Vocational School, Department of Child Development, Sivas, Turkey.
Insights
Parental perspectives reveal that child-centered design in pediatric emergency departments significantly impacts children's experiences. Key factors include physical environment, sensory elements, privacy, and staff communication for better child-friendly healthcare.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Healthcare Design and Architecture
- Patient Experience Research
Background:
- Pediatric emergency departments (PEDs) often present stressful environments for children.
- Parental insights are crucial for understanding and improving pediatric patient experiences.
- Evaluating current PED designs from a child-centered perspective is essential for enhancing care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate child-centered emergency department design through parental experiences.
- To identify key environmental and experiential factors influencing pediatric patients in PEDs.
- To gather recommendations for creating more child-friendly emergency care settings.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative research approach utilizing semi-structured interviews.
- Sample included 21 parents of children aged 6-12 years presenting to a Turkish PED.
- Data analyzed using content analysis to identify key themes.
Main Results:
- Children exhibit distinct emotional and behavioral responses in emergency settings.
- Physical (spatial) and environmental (sensory) elements significantly affect children's PED experiences.
- Privacy concerns and healthcare personnel communication are critical factors identified by parents.
Conclusions:
- Parental perspectives highlight the importance of a child-centered approach in PED design.
- Physical environment, sensory stimuli, privacy, and staff communication are crucial for positive experiences.
- Development of Child-Friendly Emergency Department standards is recommended for ministries and professional organizations.
Objective:
This study aims to evaluate the child-centered emergency department design by examining the experiences of pediatric patients presenting to the pediatric emergency department from a parental perspective.
Method:
The research was conducted using a qualitative research approach. The sample consisted of 21 parents of typically developing children aged 6-12 years who presented in one pediatric emergency department in Turkey within a six month period. A semi-structured interview form was used as a data collection tool. The obtained data were analyzed using content analysis.
Results:
The research findings were classified under three main themes: (1) Emergency Department Experiences of Pediatric Patients, (2) Child-Centered Healthcare Architecture, and (3) Transformation and Sustainability. The first theme identified the emotional and behavioral responses exhibited by children in emergency departments. The second theme revealed that physical (spatial) elements, environmental (sensory) elements, and privacy issues play a significant role in children's emergency department experiences. The third theme includes child-centered design suggestions and service-oriented suggestions.
Discussion:
This study offers an in-depth parental perspective on the child-centered design of one pediatric emergency department in Turkey. The results demonstrate that the design of the physical environment, sensory stimuli, privacy, and the communication competencies of healthcare personnel are critical in shaping children's experiences.
Practical Implications:
Pediatric emergency departments should be designed to be child-friendly. It is incumbent upon the ministries of health and the relevant professional organizations to establish Child-Friendly Emergency Department standards and to integrate these standards with physical infrastructure, staff qualifications, and patient experience components.
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