Parental Preferences Regarding Healthcare Provider - School Communication

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Care Coordination
• Interprofessional Communication in Healthcare
• School Health Services

Background:

• Care coordination is crucial for pediatricians and high-quality healthcare.
• Existing literature highlights the benefits of communication between healthcare providers and school staff.
• Limited data exist on the prevalence and parental preferences for healthcare provider and school staff communication (HPSC).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of HPSC from the parental perspective.
• To explore parental preferences for the frequency of HPSC.
• To identify demographic factors associated with HPSC prevalence and parental desire for increased communication.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study using the Voices of Child Health Parent Panel Survey (n=944).
• Survey administered in English and Spanish to parents in Illinois.
• Weighted data analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression.

Main Results:

• Only 19.7% of parents reported HPSC in the past 12 months.
• 35.5% of parents desired more frequent HPSC.
• HPSC prevalence varied by parent education, income, and school type; desire for more HPSC varied by parent race and education.

Conclusions:

• HPSC occurs at low rates, despite its importance for addressing children's health needs in schools.
• Parents appear to support the expansion of HPSC.
• Findings align with existing literature on the benefits of HPSC for pediatricians and school staff.