A recent study found that high stress levels in parents of hospitalized children were linked to perceived miscommunication from clinicians.
The study, published Nov. 1 in the American Journal of Critical Care, surveyed 200 parents of children admitted to a Philadelphia-based pediatric ICU for stays exceeding 24 hours between Jan. 1, 2018, and Feb. 29, 2020. Among the 210 children hospitalized, 38.6% were admitted due to respiratory illness and 51% were experiencing their first admission.
Here are four findings from the study:
"Recognizing that parental stress is linked to perceptions of miscommunication can impact how clinicians help parents navigate their child's critical illness and hospital stay," study co-author Jesse Wool, PhD, MBE, RN, an assistant professor at M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing at Villanova University in Philadelphia, said in an American Association of Critical-Care Nurses news release. "Inconsistency among clinicians may contribute to miscommunication, reduce trust from parents and complicate the decision-making process."