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O'Cathain A, Simpson R, Phillips M, Knowles E. Tendency to call an ambulance or attend an emergency department for minor or non-urgent problems: a vignette-based population survey in Britain. Emerg Med J 2022; 39:436-442. [PMID: 35273021 PMCID: PMC9132851 DOI: 10.1136/emermed-2020-210271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are concerns about high levels of demand for emergency health services. The aim was to identify the characteristics of the British population with a tendency to contact emergency medical services and EDs for minor or non-urgent problems. METHODS A survey of the British adult population in 2018. Six vignettes were constructed about illness in adults (cough/sore throat or diarrhoea/vomiting), injury in adults (sore rib or back pain) and fever in children (occurring weekday or weekend). RESULTS The response rate was 42%, with 2906 respondents. 11% (319/2716) of respondents selected to contact an ambulance and 43% ED, mainly for the vignettes about fever in children and sore rib. Males, people from ethnic minority communities and older people had a tendency to contact emergency services for minor problems. Tendency to call an ambulance was also characterised by 'low resources' (manual or unskilled occupations, no car, low health literacy), worry that a symptom might be serious, distress (feeling overwhelmed by health problems) and frequent use of EDs. For EDs, there was an attraction to EDs because of availability of tests. CONCLUSION Whereas use of emergency ambulances for minor or non-urgent problems appeared to be driven by people's lack of resources, including lack of transport, use of EDs appeared to be driven by their attractive characteristic of offering tests quickly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia O'Cathain
- School of Health and Related Research, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Rebecca Simpson
- School of Health and Related Research, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Emma Knowles
- School of Health and Related Research, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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Pawellek M, Kopf FM, Egger N, Dresch C, Matterne U, Brandstetter S. Pathways linking parental health literacy with health behaviours directed at the child: a scoping review. Health Promot Int 2021; 37:6403923. [PMID: 34668013 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daab154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Health literacy (HL) is thought to be crucial for the management of the manifold demands relating to child health which parents are faced with. Albeit many studies have investigated parental HL and health behaviours (HBs) directed at the child, knowledge about the pathways which link parental HL with HB is scarce. The aim of this scoping review was to identify and comprehensively describe the variety of pathways linking parental HL with HBs directed at the child which were empirically analysed in previous studies. Following established scoping review methods database searches were conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and WebofScience on 5 March 2020. Eligibility criteria included primary, empirical studies assessing parental HL and HB directed at the child in the general parent population. Titles and abstracts were screened independently by six reviewers for potentially relevant publications and data were extracted using standardized data extraction forms. The search identified 6916 articles for title and abstract screening. After full-text review, 50 studies were included in this review. Most studies (N = 24) assumed a direct association between HL and HBs and only few studies (N = 4) used more complex models investigating different pathways or mediation and/or moderation models. Overall, the evidence on the underlying pathways linking parental HL and HBs directed at the child is mixed and fairly limited. Therefore, hypothesis-driven research and integration of results into theoretical frameworks is needed for advancing both the research on HL and public health practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maja Pawellek
- University Children's Hospital Regensburg (KUNO), University of Regensburg, Klinik St. Hedwig, Steinmetzstr. 1-3, Regensburg 93049, Germany.,Member of the Research and Development Campus Regensburg (WECARE), Hospital St. Hedwig of the Order of St. John, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Felicitas Maria Kopf
- University Children's Hospital Regensburg (KUNO), University of Regensburg, Klinik St. Hedwig, Steinmetzstr. 1-3, Regensburg 93049, Germany
| | - Nina Egger
- Department of Public Health and Health Education, Freiburg University of Education, Kunzenweg 21, Freiburg 79117, Germany
| | - Carolin Dresch
- Department of Research Methods, Freiburg University of Education, Kunzenweg 21, Freiburg 79117, Germany
| | - Uwe Matterne
- Medical Faculty, Institute of Social Medicine and Health Systems Research, Otto von Guericke University, Leipziger Str. 44, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
| | - Susanne Brandstetter
- University Children's Hospital Regensburg (KUNO), University of Regensburg, Klinik St. Hedwig, Steinmetzstr. 1-3, Regensburg 93049, Germany.,Member of the Research and Development Campus Regensburg (WECARE), Hospital St. Hedwig of the Order of St. John, Regensburg, Germany
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Milne-Ives M, Neill S, Bayes N, Blair M, Blewitt J, Bray L, Carrol ED, Carter B, Dawson R, Dimitri P, Lakhanpaul M, Roland D, Tavare A, Meinert E. Impact of Digital Educational Interventions to Support Parents Caring for Acutely Ill Children at Home and Factors That Affect Their Use: Protocol for a Systematic Review. JMIR Res Protoc 2021; 10:e27504. [PMID: 34228628 PMCID: PMC8280832 DOI: 10.2196/27504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Urgent and emergency care health services are overburdened, and the use of these services by acutely ill infants and children is increasing. A large proportion of these visits could be sufficiently addressed by other health care professionals. Uncertainty about the severity of a child’s symptoms is one of many factors that play a role in parents’ decisions to take their children to emergency services, demonstrating the need for improved support for health literacy. Digital interventions are a potential tool to improve parents’ knowledge, confidence, and self-efficacy at managing acute childhood illness. However, existing systematic reviews related to this topic need to be updated and expanded to provide a contemporary review of the impact, usability, and limitations of these solutions. Objective The purpose of this systematic review protocol is to present the method for an evaluation of the impact, usability, and limitations of different types of digital educational interventions to support parents caring for acutely ill children at home. Methods The review will be structured using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) and Population, Intervention, Comparator, and Outcome (PICO) frameworks. Five databases will be systematically searched for studies published in English during and after 2014: Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, APA PsycNet, and Web of Science. Two reviewers will independently screen references’ titles and abstracts, select studies for inclusion based on the eligibility criteria, and extract the data into a standardized form. Any disagreements will be discussed and resolved by a third reviewer if necessary. Risk of bias of all studies will be assessed using the Mixed-Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), and a descriptive analysis will be used to evaluate the outcomes reported. Results The systematic review will commence during 2021. Conclusions This systematic review will summarize the impact, usability, and limitations of digital interventions for parents with acutely ill children. It will provide an overview of the field; identify reported impacts on health and behavioral outcomes as well as parental knowledge, satisfaction, and decision making; and identify the factors that affect use to help inform the development of more effective and sustainable interventions. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/27504
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison Milne-Ives
- Centre for Health Technology, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Neill
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Natasha Bayes
- Faculty of Health and Society, University of Northampton, Northampton, United Kingdom.,School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom
| | - Mitch Blair
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Lucy Bray
- Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, United Kingdom
| | - Enitan D Carrol
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Bernie Carter
- Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, United Kingdom
| | - Rob Dawson
- Meningitis Research Foundation, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Dimitri
- Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Monica Lakhanpaul
- UCL - Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Damian Roland
- SAPPHIRE Group, Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.,Paediatric Emergency Medicine Leicester Academic group, Children's Emergency Department, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Alison Tavare
- West of England Academic Health Science Network, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Edward Meinert
- Centre for Health Technology, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom.,Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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