OBJECTIVE: The aims of the study were to determine the following: 1) if a fever education program (interactive or written) reduces parent fever anxiety; 2) if an interactive fever program was more effective as a teaching style than standard written material alone; and 3) if a fever program increases parent fever home management and reduces return emergency department (ED) visits. METHOD: A quasiexperimental, pretest and post-test pilot study examining parental fever anxiety was conducted at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Eligible participants consisted of 87 parents and their children, aged 3 months to 5 years presenting with fever >38.4 degrees C, and without coexisting serious illness. RESULTS: Both the interactive fever education program and the standard written fever pamphlet were equally effective as teaching methods. Data revealed a 30% reduction in fever anxiety rated as moderate-severe on arrival to none-low post-fever education, increased parent fever home management skills with correct use of thermometer and antipyretics, and reduced unnecessary return ED visits. CONCLUSION: Parents in the acute and nonacute care setting may benefit from an interactive fever education program that includes the definition and benefit of fever, the correct use of a thermometer, fever home management skills, and appropriate fever telephone follow-up.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: The aims of the study were to determine the following: 1) if a fever education program (interactive or written) reduces parent fever anxiety; 2) if an interactive fever program was more effective as a teaching style than standard written material alone; and 3) if a fever program increases parent fever home management and reduces return emergency department (ED) visits. METHOD: A quasiexperimental, pretest and post-test pilot study examining parental fever anxiety was conducted at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Eligible participants consisted of 87 parents and their children, aged 3 months to 5 years presenting with fever >38.4 degrees C, and without coexisting serious illness. RESULTS: Both the interactive fever education program and the standard written fever pamphlet were equally effective as teaching methods. Data revealed a 30% reduction in fever anxiety rated as moderate-severe on arrival to none-low post-fever education, increased parent fever home management skills with correct use of thermometer and antipyretics, and reduced unnecessary return ED visits. CONCLUSION: Parents in the acute and nonacute care setting may benefit from an interactive fever education program that includes the definition and benefit of fever, the correct use of a thermometer, fever home management skills, and appropriate fever telephone follow-up.
Authors: Janet A Curran; Allyson J Gallant; Roger Zemek; Amanda S Newton; Mona Jabbour; Jill Chorney; Andrea Murphy; Lisa Hartling; Kate MacWilliams; Amy Plint; Shannon MacPhee; Andrea Bishop; Samuel G Campbell Journal: Syst Rev Date: 2019-04-03
Authors: Eefje G P M de Bont; Nicole Loonen; Dagmar A S Hendrix; Julie M M Lepot; Geert-Jan Dinant; Jochen W L Cals Journal: BMC Fam Pract Date: 2015-10-07 Impact factor: 2.497
Authors: Young Ho Kwak; Do Kyun Kim; Hye Young Jang; Jin Joo Kim; Jeong-Min Ryu; Seong Beom Oh; Eui Jung Lee; Ji Sook Lee; Jin Hee Lee; Jin Hee Jung; Seung Baik Han Journal: J Korean Med Sci Date: 2013-10-31 Impact factor: 2.153