A Study to Investigate Parents' Satisfaction and Concerns Regarding the Different Sedation Options Available for Pediatric Oral Surgery

Background

Pediatric oral surgery often necessitates the use of sedation to ensure patient comfort and cooperation. This study examines parents' satisfaction and concerns regarding the various sedation options available for their children's oral surgery, aiming to improve the overall patient experience.

Materials and Methods

A cross-sectional study design was employed, with a sample size of 500 parents or guardians of children who had undergone pediatric oral surgery with sedation. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on demographic characteristics, satisfaction with sedation methods, and common concerns.

Results

The study revealed a high level of satisfaction among parents, with 80% reporting satisfaction or very high satisfaction with the sedation process. However, specific concerns were identified, including fear of sedation complications, concerns about long-term effects, child anxiety or trauma, perceived lack of control, and communication with the healthcare team.

Conclusion

The findings highlight the importance of clear communication and education for parents and guardians in the context of pediatric oral surgery.

Short report: Experiences of Caregivers Participating in a Telehealth Evaluation of Development for Infants (TEDI)

A growing literature supports the feasibility and validity of telehealth-based assessments for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Better understanding families' experiences is crucial for sustained use beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. This study qualitatively examines caregiver experiences with the Telehealth Evaluation of Development for Infants (TEDI) protocol to better understand benefits and challenges of telehealth-based evaluations. Caregivers (N = 32) completed an online survey following a telehealth-based evaluation with their 6-12 month-old infants. Open-ended text responses to queries about perceived benefits, challenges, and suggestions for future adaptations were coded. Most caregivers reported positive experiences with minor feedback relating to tailoring of individual needs. Responses suggest the TEDI is a feasible approach and provide guidance for components of successful telehealth evaluations more broadly.

Parent satisfaction with sustained home visiting care for mothers and children: an integrative review

AIM

To synthesise and analyse the existing literature regarding parent satisfaction with sustained home visiting care for mothers and children.

BACKGROUND

Sustained home visiting is a service delivery mechanism of both prevention and intervention, in which people receive structured support services within their home environment over an extended period of months or years. For the purposes of this paper, sustained home visiting refers to in-home nursing support to address health inequities for mothers and young children. Sustained home visiting programs have been found to support improved health, wellbeing, and developmental outcomes for children and families. However, there is limited knowledge with regards to the level of parent satisfaction with care provided at home, and the factors and elements of care parents perceive to be critical to their satisfaction. It is important for healthcare practitioners to understand what practices and process parents consider to be a priority in securing their ongoing engagement.

DESIGN

Integrative review.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed/Medline, CINAHL, Embase, and PsycINFO.

METHODS

A multi-step approach was used to search and retrieve peer-reviewed studies from the databases. Study selection, data extraction, data synthesis and critical appraisal were undertaken by two independent researchers.

RESULTS

A total of 13 studies met the inclusion criteria, including nine quantitative and four qualitative studies. The review found that parents provided with home visiting interventions had higher levels of satisfaction with care than those who received routine or facility-based care. Service dose was a factor associated with parent satisfaction, however, the direction of impact on parent satisfaction was mixed. Other elements of care parents perceived as important to service satisfaction included the nurse-client relationship, being treated with respect, empowerment, and emotional support.

CONCLUSION

While it is critically important that home visiting practitioners provide evidence-based care and interventions, it is equally important that services are delivered in the context of positive and empowering relationships. Further research is recommended to understand the care process and mechanisms that enhance parent satisfaction and positive experiences, providing optimal quality of care.

Is staff consistency important to parents' satisfaction in a longitudinal study of children at risk for type 1 diabetes: the TEDDY study

BACKGROUND

Participants' study satisfaction is important for both compliance with study protocols and retention, but research on parent study satisfaction is rare. This study sought to identify factors associated with parent study satisfaction in The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) study, a longitudinal, multinational (US, Finland, Germany, Sweden) study of children at risk for type 1 diabetes. The role of staff consistency to parent study satisfaction was a particular focus.

METHODS

Parent study satisfaction was measured by questionnaire at child-age 15 months (5579 mothers, 4942 fathers) and child-age four years (4010 mothers, 3411 fathers). Multiple linear regression analyses were used to identify sociodemographic factors, parental characteristics, and study variables associated with parent study satisfaction at both time points.

RESULTS

Parent study satisfaction was highest in Sweden and the US, compared to Finland. Parents who had an accurate perception of their child's type 1 diabetes risk and those who believed they can do something to prevent type 1 diabetes were more satisfied. More educated parents and those with higher depression scores had lower study satisfaction scores. After adjusting for these factors, greater study staff change frequency was associated with lower study satisfaction in European parents (mothers at child-age 15 months: - 0.30,95% Cl - 0.36, - 0.24, p < 0.001; mothers at child-age four years: -0.41, 95% Cl - 0.53, - 0.29, p < 0.001; fathers at child-age 15 months: -0.28, 95% Cl - 0.34, - 0.21, p < 0.001; fathers at child-age four years: -0.35, 95% Cl - 0.48, - 0.21, p < 0.001). Staff consistency was not associated with parent study satisfaction in the US. However, the number of staff changes was markedly higher in the US compared to Europe.

CONCLUSIONS

Sociodemographic factors, parental characteristics, and study-related variables were all related to parent study satisfaction. Those that are potentially modifiable are of particular interest as possible targets of future efforts to improve parent study satisfaction. Three such factors were identified: parent accuracy about the child's type 1 diabetes risk, parent beliefs that something can be done to reduce the child's risk, and study staff consistency. However, staff consistency was important only for European parents.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT00279318 .

Satisfaction with in-patient child and adolescent psychiatric treatment: development and psychometric properties of the BEST questionnaires for adolescents and for parents

BACKGROUND

Interest in the assessment of patient satisfaction with in-patient psychiatric treatment has steadily increased and several measurement tools are available for the quantification of patients' experience. However, they are often uni-dimensional or focus mainly on therapeutic relationship and environment, and neglect other important issues such as information about treatment and participation. The BEST questionnaires were developed as comprehensive instruments that include items on all of the mentioned topics. The present study evaluates the psychometric properties of the BEST in a version for adolescents and for parents. Furthermore, the dimensionality of the satisfaction ratings is analyzed.

METHOD

Descriptive statistics were applied to data of 1582 adolescents (mean age = 15.0 years, SD = 1.65; 62.4% female) and 1998 parents/guardians assessed in seven in-patient units across Germany. The factorial structure of the BEST questionnaires was determined by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, including a bifactor model.

RESULTS

The psychometric quality of the scales was strong. Correlations with another assessment instrument of patient satisfaction were good to high, indicating good convergent validity. Exploratory factor analyses revealed three factors in adolescents that were labelled as: Therapeutic relationship, environment, and general satisfaction and treatment success. For parents, the same three factors could be distinguished. Confirmatory bifactor models suggested that the vast majority of variance was accounted for by the general factor; the three specific factors provided some additional information. Agreement between the subscales of adolescents and their parents was only moderate. Parents were usually more satisfied.

CONCLUSIONS

The BEST questionnaires can be considered as reliable and valid instruments to not only assess the "classical" aspects of patient satisfaction, but to also assess newer fundamental topics such as children's rights and treatment participation. For scientific usage, the total score seems superior because of the high explained variance by the general factor, but the subscale scores provide further information. The use of single items seems advantageous for quality management purposes.

Revisiting caregiver satisfaction with children's mental health services in the United States

Nearly four decades ago, Unclaimed Children documented the gaps in the United States between mental health programs and caregivers’ perspectives about those services for their children. This absence of attention to parent or caregiver perspectives, including their satisfaction with these services, was a key finding of the report, which detailed system failure in caring for youth with mental health needs. Since then, the focus on caregiver satisfaction with children’s mental health services has been largely overlooked in research, and when examined has been mostly included as an indicator of the feasibility of program implementation. In striking contrast, overall healthcare system reforms have highlighted the importance of improving consumer’s direct experience of care. However, caregiver satisfaction remains largely disconnected to these overall health system reforms, even as reforms focus increasingly on value-based, coordinated and integrated care. In this paper, we review literature from 2010 to 2020, revisit the measurement of caregiver satisfaction, identify how and when it is being measured, and delineate a research agenda to both realign it with health system improvements, refine its focus on expectancies and appropriateness, and root it more firmly in the principles of user experience (UX) and human-centered design (HCD).

Are parents' geographical origin associated with their evaluation of child and adolescent mental health services? Results from a national survey in Norway

The objective was to assess the association between parents' geographical origin and their evaluation of outpatient child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). Data were collected in a national parent's experience survey of all outpatient CAMHS in Norway in 2017. Following exclusions, 16,143 parents were part of the study, of which 5932 responded (36.1%). Diagnosis and global psychosocial functional level were collected from the National Patient Register. Multilevel regression was used to assess the association between parents' geographical origin and parent evaluation of the outpatient CAMHS on ten indicators. Sentiment and content analysis was conducted on open-ended comments from parents. The estimated regression coefficients showed that parents born in Eastern Europe scored the services significantly poorer than parents born in Norway on outcome of treatment (- 7.73, p < 0.01), general satisfaction (- 5.53, p < 0.05), ease of getting in contact with health personnel outside of scheduled appointments (- 17.04, p < 0.001), and knowledge of the services that the child has received at the service (- 10.63, p < 0.001). Parents born in Asia/Africa/South America scored the services similar as Norwegian parents on eight of ten indicators, better on one (waiting time) and poorer on one (ease of getting in contact). Sentiment analysis showed that 54% of the comments from parents born in Eastern Europe were negative, compared to 42% for the Norwegian group and 36% for Asia/Africa/South America. The parents' evaluation of the outpatient CAMHS were partly associated with their geographical origin, with parents born in Eastern Europe reporting poorer experiences than parents born in Norway.

Differences in parents of pediatric liver transplantation and chronic liver disease patients

BACKGROUND

With advancements in the treatment of chronic liver disease (CLD), including liver transplantation (LT), quality of life and satisfaction after LT have become an important issue for pediatric patients and their parents. More evidence-based information is needed to describe and assess the impact of pediatric CLD on parents and the satisfaction of parents with treatment to better understand their needs.

AIM

To assess the satisfaction of parents of pediatric LT patients and that of parents of pediatric CLD patients

METHODS

During this survey, data were collected from parents of pediatric patients who underwent LT between January 2010 and April 2017 (LT group; n = 91) and parents of pediatric patients with chronic liver disease (CLD group; n = 94). Group comparisons were made based on the pediatric health-related quality of life (PedsQL) health care parent satisfaction scale, impact on family scale (IFS) and demographic characteristics. The PedsQL was administered to parents during a phone interview and the results were used to assess the health care-related satisfaction of parents. The IFS was used to assess the impact of the child’s CLD status on the family. Demographic variables such as education level (elementary vs middle vs high vs university), monthly income (low vs middle vs high), and place of residence (village vs town vs city) were compared between CLD and LT parent groups. Finally, PedsQL and IFS results were also analyzed according to demographic variables.

RESULTS

A total of 185 parents aged 19 to 65 years were included. There were statistically significant differences between the LT and CLD groups in terms of career (P < 0.001), monthly income (P = 0.016), and education level (P = 0.041). According to the PedsQL results, family inclusion, communication, technical skills, emotional needs, and overall satisfaction were significantly different between the groups; the LT group had consistently higher scores (P < 0.001). Additionally, scores for the IFS parameters of financial impact, familial-social impact, personal strain, and total impact were consistently higher for the LT group (P < 0.001). There were statistically significant relationships between education level, monthly income, and place of residence according to the IFS results but not the PedsQL results. There were inverse relationships between the difficulties that parents experience because of their child’s health and education levels, monthly income, and place of residence. However, no relationship was found between education level, monthly income, or place of residence and satisfaction with health care services provided in the hospital according to the PedsQL results.

CONCLUSION

Parents of children who underwent LT were very satisfied with the health care services provided to their children. However, they had more difficulties than parents of children with CLD.

Parents' and children's decision-making and experiences in pediatric epilepsy surgery

BACKGROUND

In pediatric epilepsy surgery, little research has been conducted on parents' decision-making for or against surgery, their satisfaction with the surgical outcome, as well as their children's personal experiences with the process.

OBJECTIVE

This study explores (1) factors that may influence parents' decision-making, (2) factors associated with their postoperative satisfaction, and (3) their children's involvement in decision-making and their experiences with epilepsy surgery.

METHODS

Self-developed questionnaires were provided to parents and their children in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Clinical and psychosocial differences between parents who decided for or against surgery, as well as associations between postoperative factors and the parents' satisfaction were statistically analyzed.

RESULTS

Fifty-one questionnaires (42 parent and nine patient questionnaires) were evaluated. Parents who decided for epilepsy surgery reported significantly more frequently to have received a good medical consultation and a consistent recommendation. They made significantly less use of information websites, internet forums, and patient organizations. Their children were classified as more intelligent and resisted surgery less. Most of the parents were satisfied with the surgical outcome (83%). Parents were significantly more satisfied when their children had fewer medication side effects, their memory or concentration had improved, their character or behavior had changed in a positive direction, or when their children were more independent or less excluded. They were also significantly more content when they had more free time to themselves and their professional situation or their relationship with their children, friends, or other family members had improved. However, no significant association was found between parental satisfaction and reduced number of medications or improved seizure outcome. Although the children were reported to have been minimally involved in the decision-making process, they were satisfied with their involvement.

CONCLUSIONS

A good medical consultation that involves the children and considers the family's living conditions is a crucial factor for parents' decision-making on pediatric epilepsy surgery. For parents' satisfaction, a positive change in their child's character or behavior and an improved psychosocial situation of the family are more important than postoperative seizure frequency or number of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Therefore, the medical consultation should not only focus on clinical factors, but also point out psychosocial and behavioral changes that may occur after the surgical treatment.

Parental satisfaction and perception of Progress in influencing the Practice of complementary health approaches in children with autism: a cross sectional survey from Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

Background

Parents’ use of complementary health approaches (CHA) for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are common despite the uncertain evidence of its benefit. Parents often adopt CHA due to dissatisfaction with conventional treatment. This study aimed to examine parents’ satisfaction with ASD treatment and their perception of progress in their child’s development. Parents’ use of CHA among children with ASD and the factors related were also evaluated.

Methods

Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 48 parents of children with ASD at a single tertiary referral hospital in Malaysia. Correlation analysis was used to explore associations between parental satisfaction scores, perception of progress scores and use of CHA.

Results

Use of CHA was reported by parents for 35.4% of children with ASD in the sample. Parents who were less satisfied with conventional treatment and parents who perceived poorer progress in their child’s development were more likely to use CHA. Strong positive relationship was found between parent satisfaction with ASD treatment scores and parent perception of progress scores, which indicates that parents who were satisfied with treatment were more likely to perceive greater progress in their child’s development. Improvement in child’s progress was most appreciated by parents in their child’s behavior (85.5%), social skills (83.3%) and motor skills (77.1%).

Conclusion

The use of CHA was common among children with ASD. Parents were more likely to practice CHA when they were less satisfied with conventional treatment and perceived poorer progress. A larger multicenter study is required to further explore the practice of CHA among children with ASD throughout Malaysia.

Intussusception Protocol Implementation: Single-Site Outcomes With Clinician and Family Satisfaction

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to evaluate clinical outcomes, costs, and clinician and parent satisfaction after implementation of a protocol to discharge patients from the emergency department (ED) after successful reduction of uncomplicated ileocolic intussusception.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In March 2017, an intussusception management protocol was implemented for children presenting with ultrasound findings of ileocolic intussusception. Those meeting inclusion criteria were observed after successful radiological reduction in the ED and discharged after 6 h with resolution of symptoms. Retrospective chart review was completed for cases before and after protocol implementation for clinical outcomes and costs. Clinicians and parents were surveyed to assess overall satisfaction.

RESULTS

Charts were reviewed before (42 encounters, 37 patients) and after (30 encounters, 23 patients) protocol implementation. After implementation, admission rates decreased from 95% (40/42) to 23% (7/30; P < 0.001) and antibiotic use was eliminated (91% to 0%, P < 0.001). There was no difference in recurrence rates (17% versus 23%, P = 0.44). Median total length of stay decreased from 18.87 to 9.52 h (P < 0.001), whereas median ED length of stay increased from 4.37 to 9.87 h (P < 0.001). In addition, there was an overall hospital cost saving of over $2000 ($9595 ± 3424 to $7465 ± 3723; P = 0.009) per encounter. Clinicians and parents were overall satisfied with the protocol and parents showed no changes in patient satisfaction with protocol implementation.

CONCLUSIONS

An intussusception protocol can facilitate early discharge from the ED and improve patient care without increased risk of recurrence. Additional benefits include decreased hospital- and patient-related costs, elimination of antibiotic use, and parent as well as clinician satisfaction.

User satisfaction with family-based inpatient treatment for adolescent anorexia nervosa: retrospective views of patients and parents

BACKGROUND

Research is scarce on patient and parent satisfaction with family-based treatment for adolescent anorexia nervosa (AN), especially family-based treatment adapted to inpatient settings. The purpose of this study was to describe and compare patient and parent satisfaction with an inpatient family-based treatment program for adolescent AN, and to investigate whether the level of satisfaction with treatment was associated with eating disorder outcome.

METHODS

Former patients and their parents were contacted approximately five years (4.5 ± 1.7, range: 1.3-7.0) after discharge from family-based inpatient treatment. Ninety-four participants (patients: n = 34, mothers: n = 40, fathers: n = 20) from 46/58 (79.3%) families took part in the study. Former patients and both parents completed treatment satisfaction questionnaires. Outcome at follow-up was assessed by the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire and body mass index (kg/m²).

RESULTS

Overall, mothers and fathers reported a high level of satisfaction with treatment, while the former patients' satisfaction was moderate. There were no significant differences between treatment satisfaction scores for mothers and fathers. However, the former patients' treatment satisfaction scores were significantly lower than the parents' scores on several of the items. Correlations between eating disorder outcome parameters and treatment satisfaction were small, except for fathers' satisfaction with treatment and weight outcome at follow-up.

DISCUSSION

Family-based treatment adapted to inpatient settings is a novel treatment approach for adolescents with AN that require hospitalization. Inclusion and empowerment of parents are considered crucial in outpatient family-based treatment, but may be just as important in inpatient programs. Mothers and fathers alike reported high levels of satisfaction with treatment, which may constitute an important factor in the success of family-based treatment.

CONCLUSION

Family-based inpatient treatment for adolescents with severe AN who have failed to respond to outpatient treatment seemed to be highly valued by parents and viewed by adolescents as acceptable. Parental satisfaction with their child's treatment is likely to be an important factor for treatment implementation and adherence both in outpatient and inpatient settings.

Optimizing Neurocritical Care Follow-Up Through the Integration of Neuropsychology

BACKGROUND

Pediatric critical care survivors often suffer persisting multisystem health problems and are left with treatment needs that go unmet due to limits in current care models. We proposed that integration of neuropsychology into neurocritical care follow-up provides incremental benefit to the identification and treatment of persisting complications and reduction in co-morbidities.

BASIC PROCEDURES

The aims of this study were three-fold. First, we described pilot programs at two pediatric hospitals as models for implementing systematic follow-up care with interdisciplinary clinic teams consisting of critical care, neurology, and neuropsychology. Second, we described working models specific to neuropsychological service delivery in these programs. Third, we presented preliminary data from the first six months of one of the pilot programs in order to examine incremental benefit of neuropsychology in improving patient care and parent satisfaction.

MAIN FINDINGS

A total of 16 patients (age range three to 17 years) were seen by neuropsychology within the first six months of the program. Results showed that integration of neuropsychology into follow-up care resulted in recommendations being made for services or concerns not already addressed in 81% of cases. Parents reported high satisfaction, endorsing the highest possible rating on 96% of all items. Parents reported that neuropsychological consultation improved their understanding and communication with their child, and helped them know what to expect from their child during postacute recovery.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this pilot study suggest that integration of neuropsychology into neurocritical care follow-up programs contributes to parent satisfaction and may provide incremental benefit to patient care.

Parent experiences of diabetes care questionnaire (PEQ-DC): reliability and validity following a national survey in Norway

BACKGROUND

Patient experiences are acknowledged as an important aspect of health care quality but no validated instruments have been identified for the measurement of either parent or patient experiences with outpatient paediatric diabetes care. The aim of the current study was to assess the psychometric properties of a new instrument developed to measure parent experiences of paediatric diabetes care at hospital outpatient departments in Norway.

METHODS

The development of the questionnaire was based on a literature review of existing questionnaires, qualitative interviews with both parents and children/adolescents, expert-group consultations, pretesting of the questionnaire and a pilot study. The national pilot study included parents of 2606 children/adolescents aged 0-17 years with Type 1 Diabetes registered in The Norwegian Childhood Diabetes Registry, a nationwide, population-based registry. Levels of missing data, ceiling effects, factor structure, internal consistency, item discriminant validity and construct validity were assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 2606 patients were included in the survey, but 80 were excluded due to incorrect addresses. 1399 (55%) parents responded to the questionnaire. Low levels of missing or "not applicable" responses were found for 31 of the 35 items (< 10%), and 27 of 35 items were below the ceiling-effect criterion. Psychometric testing and theoretical considerations identified six scales: Consultation (six items), organisation (five items), equipment (three items), nurse contact (four items), doctor contact (four items) and outcome (five items). All six scales met the 0.7 criterion for Cronbach's alpha (range: 0.71-0.90). As expected, each item had a higher correlation with its hypothesised scale than with any of the other five scales. The construct validity of the Parent Experiences of Diabetes Care Questionnaire (PEQ-DC) was supported by 17 out of 18 associations with variables expected to be related to parent experiences.

CONCLUSION

The psychometric testing of the PEQ-DC showed good evidence for data quality, internal consistency and construct validity. The instrument includes important aspects of diabetes care at paediatric outpatient departments from the perspective of the parent. The content validity of the PEQ-DC was secured by a rigorous development process, and the instrument was tested following a national survey in Norway, securing generalisability across Norway.

A systematic review of instruments for assessing parent satisfaction with family-centred care in neonatal intensive care units

This systematic review synthesised and described instruments measuring parent satisfaction with the increasing standard practice of family-centred care (FCC) in neonatal intensive care units. We evaluated 11 studies published from January 2006 to March 2016: two studies validated a parent satisfaction questionnaire, and nine developed or modified previous questionnaires to use as outcome measures in their local settings. Most instruments were not tested on reliability and validity.

CONCLUSION

Only two validated instruments included all six of the FCC principles and could assess parent satisfaction with FCC in neonatal intensive care units and be considered as outcome indicators for further research.

The family experiences of in-hospital care questionnaire in severe traumatic brain injury (FECQ-TBI): a validation study

BACKGROUND

Family members are important for support and care of their close relative after severe traumas, and their experiences are vital health care quality indicators. The objective was to describe the development of the Family Experiences of in-hospital Care Questionnaire for family members of patients with severe Traumatic Brain Injury (FECQ-TBI), and to evaluate its psychometric properties and validity.

METHODS

The design of the study is a Norwegian multicentre study inviting 171 family members. The questionnaire developmental process included a literature review, use of an existing instrument (the parent experience of paediatric care questionnaire), focus group with close family members, as well as expert group judgments. Items asking for family care experiences related to acute wards and rehabilitation were included. Several items of the paediatric care questionnaire were removed or the wording of the items was changed to comply with the present purpose. Questions covering experiences with the inpatient rehabilitation period, the discharge phase, the family experiences with hospital facilities, the transfer between departments and the economic needs of the family were added. The developed questionnaire was mailed to the participants. Exploratory factor analyses were used to examine scale structure, in addition to screening for data quality, and analyses of internal consistency and validity.

RESULTS

The questionnaire was returned by 122 (71%) of family members. Principal component analysis extracted six dimensions (eigenvalues > 1.0): acute organization and information (10 items), rehabilitation organization (13 items), rehabilitation information (6 items), discharge (4 items), hospital facilities-patients (4 items) and hospital facilities-family (2 items). Items related to the acute phase were comparable to items in the two dimensions of rehabilitation: organization and information. All six subscales had high Cronbach's alpha coefficients >0.80. The construct validity was confirmed.

CONCLUSION

The FECQ-TBI assesses important aspects of in-hospital care in the acute and rehabilitation phases, as seen from a family perspective. The psychometric properties and the construct validity of the questionnaire were good, hence supporting the use of the FECQ-TBI to assess quality of care in rehabilitation departments.

Long-term health-related quality of life for patients with Hirschsprung's disease at 5 years after transanal endorectal pull-through operation

PURPOSE

This study aims to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for children as well as parents' satisfaction 5-7 years after transanal pull-through operation of Hirschsprung's disease.

METHODS

The PedsQL™ 4.0-Core Measurement Model-and the PedsQL™ 3.0 Healthcare Satisfaction Generic Module were used to evaluate the quality of life and parents' satisfaction, respectively. Parents of 53 children who were operated by transanal pull-through operation 5-7 years earlier were included in the study.

RESULTS

The HRQoL of children was generally good. The mean scores were 87.3, 95.5, 92.3 and 93.2 % for physical, emotional, social and school functioning, respectively. Overflow incontinence was significantly affecting physical (ß = -.261), emotional (ß = -.299), social (ß = -.42) and school functioning (ß = -.534). Constipation significantly affected emotional (ß = -.742), social (ß = -.108) and school (ß = -.282) functioning. Failure to thrive was significantly affecting social (ß = -.215) and school functioning (ß = -.176). Age at time of surgery was affecting physical, emotional, social and school functioning (ß = -.686, -.627, -.865 and -.907, respectively). Parents were generally satisfied from the healthcare service with an overall satisfaction of 90.7 with the least satisfaction (79.8) in family inclusion category.

CONCLUSIONS

Transanal pull-through operation disease showed a good postoperative long-term HRQoL. Overflow incontinence and age at time of surgery had a significant negative effect on all the aspects of children's HRQoL. Parental satisfaction was good and could be improved by more family inclusion.

Satisfaction with care and decision making among parents/caregivers in the pediatric intensive care unit: a comparison between English-speaking whites and Latinos

PURPOSE

Because of previously documented health care disparities, we hypothesized that English-speaking Latino parents/caregivers would be less satisfied with care and decision making than English-speaking non-Latino white (NLW) parents/caregivers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An intensive care unit (ICU) family satisfaction survey, Family Satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit Survey (pediatric, 24 question version), was completed by English-speaking parents/caregivers of children in a cardiothoracic ICU at a university-affiliated children's hospital in 2011. English-speaking NLW and Latino parents/caregivers of patients, younger than 18 years, admitted to the ICU were approached to participate on hospital day 3 or 4 if they were at the bedside for greater than or equal to 2 days. Analysis of variance, χ(2), and Student t tests were used. Cronbach αs were calculated.

RESULTS

Fifty parents/caregivers completed the survey in each group. Latino parents/caregivers were younger, more often mothers born outside the United States, more likely to have government insurance or no insurance, and had less education and income. There were no differences between the groups' mean overall satisfaction scores (92.6 ± 8.3 and 93.0 ± 7.1, respectively; P = .80). The Family Satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit Survey (pediatric, 24 question version) showed high internal consistency reliability (α = .95 and .91 for NLW and Latino groups, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

No disparities in ICU satisfaction with care and decision making between English-speaking NLW and Latino parents/caregivers were found.

A questionnaire-based study on parental satisfaction with a universal newborn hearing screening program in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

OBJECTIVES

The present study aimed to determine levels of parents' satisfaction associated with the universal newborn hearing screening process in a university hospital setting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

METHODS

Parents whose babies had undergone a hearing screening test at the Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, participated in this study. In this study, the original English version of the Parent Satisfaction Questionnaire with Neonatal Hearing Screening Program (PSQ-NHSP) was translated and adapted into Malay language. Thus, this self-administered Malay version of PSQ-NHSP was used to measure parents' satisfaction on information of newborn hearing screening program, personnel in charge of the hearing testing, hearing screening activities, and overall satisfaction.

RESULTS

Of the 200 questionnaires distributed, 119 parents (59.5%) responded. Overall, more than 80% of parents were satisfied with the program. The highest percentage of satisfaction (95.6%) was related to the contents of an information leaflet. However, parents were not satisfied with items measuring communication aspect of personnel in charge of the hearing screening. In specific, 38.1% of parents were not satisfied with the explanations and information provided by the screeners on the test procedures, while 26.1% of parents found that the information they received on the test results was insufficient.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of the present study revealed that parents were generally satisfied with the UNHS program. However, further intervention is required to improve the communication aspects of the personnel in charge of the hearing testing. Results suggest that the questionnaire is easily employed and effective tool for assessing parental satisfaction with newborn hearing screening programs. Additionally, this study has demonstrated the survey tool to be useful in identifying areas that need changes or improvements.

Parent Satisfaction Questionnaire with Neonatal Hearing Screening Programs: psychometric properties of the Persian version

OBJECTIVES

Measuring parent satisfaction with neonatal hearing screening programs is one of the most important indicators for assessing the quality and effectiveness and a useful instrument to identify service shortfalls. The aims of this study were to translate and adapt Parent Satisfaction Questionnaire with Neonatal Hearing Screening Programs (PSQ-NHSPs) to Persian language, determine the validity and reliability of this translation, and determine the level of parent satisfaction with neonatal hearing screening programs in Iran.

METHODS

Translated Persian version of the original English PSQ-HNSPs was presented to 138 parents whose children had received hearing screening before discharge from hospital.

RESULTS

The majority of parents responded strongly agree or agree to all dimensions of the questionnaire: overall satisfaction (90.6%), personnel in charge of hearing test (60.1%), and appointment activities (58%). Good internal consistency reliability (a=0.89) and moderate test-retest reliability (r=0.61) of the Persian version of PSQ-NHSPs were indicated. Construct validity was demonstrated by a significant positive relationship between overall satisfaction and specific dimensions in the questionnaire.

CONCLUSION

The Persian version of PSQ-NHSPs is a valid and reliable tool to assess the level of parent satisfaction with neonatal hearing screening programs.