María Gloria Villarejo-Rodríguez1, Beatriz Rodríguez-Martín2. 1. Nurse, Health Center of Bargas, Toledo, Spain and PhD student, University of Castilla-La Mancha. Social and Health Care Center, Cuenca, Spain. 2. PhD Professor, University of Castilla-La Mancha. Faculty of Health Sciences. Talavera de la Reina, Toledo, Spain.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To explore the behavior of parents, with and without health training, seeking care from emergency services due to their child's fever. DESIGN AND SETTING: A qualitative study based on Grounded Theory using a triangulated sample (theoretical sampling and snowball sampling) of parents of children 0 to 12 years old who received care for fever in the emergency primary care services of two Spanish municipalities. METHODS: Data saturation was achieved after eight focus groups segmented by gender, place of residence, and education (57 participants). Data analysis followed the constant comparative method and coding process. FINDINGS: The parents attended the emergency department when fever was high or persistent and to determine the cause. The reasons for avoiding the emergency department differed; whereas the health professional parents avoided consulting other colleagues as they felt questioned, for parents who were not healthcare professionals, there was a fear of acquiring an infection. CONCLUSIONS: Parents' search for healthcare differs according to their background and education. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These results provide key information for the design of care plans to improve health care and patient satisfaction.
PURPOSE: To explore the behavior of parents, with and without health training, seeking care from emergency services due to their child's fever. DESIGN AND SETTING: A qualitative study based on Grounded Theory using a triangulated sample (theoretical sampling and snowball sampling) of parents of children 0 to 12 years old who received care for fever in the emergency primary care services of two Spanish municipalities. METHODS: Data saturation was achieved after eight focus groups segmented by gender, place of residence, and education (57 participants). Data analysis followed the constant comparative method and coding process. FINDINGS: The parents attended the emergency department when fever was high or persistent and to determine the cause. The reasons for avoiding the emergency department differed; whereas the health professional parents avoided consulting other colleagues as they felt questioned, for parents who were not healthcare professionals, there was a fear of acquiring an infection. CONCLUSIONS: Parents' search for healthcare differs according to their background and education. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These results provide key information for the design of care plans to improve health care and patient satisfaction.