Researchers from the Netherlands conducted a qualitative study exploring parents’ motivations, expectations and experiences of out-of-hours access to primary care for children with acute gastroenteritis. They conducted 14 semistructured interviews with parents who contacted primary care physicians outside of regular business hours to seek medical help for their children. When a child exhibits unusual behavior, parents are more likely to contact their primary care physician after hours to prevent symptoms from worsening and to obtain medical reassurance. Researchers report that parents want doctors to conduct thorough physical exams, provide information and develop follow-up care protocols. Parents may express dissatisfaction if they feel their doctor is not listening to them, misunderstanding them, or not taking them seriously. This increases the likelihood that they will seek another consultation. The researchers concluded that there was often a mismatch between parents’ expectations and GPs’ actions. Greater awareness and understanding by GPs of parents’ feelings and expectations could guide their interactions with parents, which may increase satisfaction with primary care and reduce requests for after-hours care.
What we know: Acute gastroenteritis is a common infectious disease in children under 6 years old. Although it usually resolves on its own, consultation rates are high in primary care, especially out of office hours.
What this study adds: Researchers found that among parents who requested outpatient consultations for their children with gastroenteritis, those who felt misunderstood or not listened to by their doctors were more likely to request such visits. Better consideration and understanding of parents’ feelings and expectations about caring for their children may improve satisfaction with primary health care, particularly for requests made after normal visit hours.
source:
American Academy of Family Physicians