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Parental presence during procedures: a survey of attitudes amongst paediatricians
1Department of Paediatrics, North West Armed Forces Hospital, Tabuk, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Insights
Most pediatricians allow parents during procedures, but many exclude anxious parents during difficult or painful treatments. Preparation often relies solely on verbal explanations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Pain Management
- Medical Psychology
Background:
- Parental involvement is crucial for managing pediatric pain.
- Physician attitudes towards parental presence during procedures are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To survey pediatricians' attitudes towards parental presence during pediatric procedures under local anesthesia.
- To identify factors influencing the exclusion of parents from procedures.
Main Methods:
- A survey was distributed to 314 consultant pediatricians.
- Questionnaires assessed attitudes towards parental presence and exclusion criteria.
- A high response rate of 60.8% was achieved.
Main Results:
- 98.5% of pediatricians were willing to allow parental presence.
- 57.5% excluded parents from specific procedures, especially if the parent was anxious or the procedure was difficult/painful.
- 91% used only verbal explanations for parental preparation.
Conclusions:
- While most pediatricians support parental presence, a significant portion excludes parents based on anxiety or procedure difficulty.
- Current preparation methods for parents may be insufficient, relying heavily on verbal explanations.
Abstract:
As a child's primary caretaker, the parent plays a significant role in the management of paediatric pain. Is this what physicians want and allow? This paper analyses the results of a survey conducted among paediatricians. Three hundred and fourteen consultant paediatricians were sent questionnaires about their attitudes towards parental presence during medical procedures performed on children under local anaesthesia. Paediatricians were asked under what circumstances they allowed parents to remain, and what factors led to their exclusion. The response rate was high--60.8%. Though 98.5% of paediatricians were willing to let parents remain, 57.5% excluded some parents from certain procedures, particularly if parents were anxious and the procedure difficult or painful. Ninety-one per cent relied on verbal explanations alone to prepare parents prior to procedures.