1. Perceptions and Experiences of Parents of Burn-Injured Children during Hospital Stay: A Need for Integrated Care.
- Author
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Santos, Martim, Ferraz, Ana, Garcia, Maria, and Pereira, M. Graça
- Subjects
BURNS & scalds ,RESEARCH funding ,QUALITATIVE research ,PSYCHOLOGICAL distress ,PARENT-child relationships ,MOTHERS ,CONTENT analysis ,PARENT attitudes ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,PSYCHOLOGICAL adaptation ,EXPERIENCE ,THEMATIC analysis ,LONGITUDINAL method ,QUALITY of life ,MEDICAL coding ,LENGTH of stay in hospitals ,DATA analysis software ,INTEGRATED health care delivery ,MEDICAL referrals ,PSYCHOLOGY of the sick ,CHILDREN - Abstract
Pediatric burn injuries are a critical medical condition that triggers a series of ongoing multifactorial stressors that affect both children and their families. To inform healthcare research and clinical practice, this study aimed to understand and describe the perceptions and experiences of the parents of burn-injured children during hospital stay. Forty-six parents (thirty-eight mothers) of forty-six children (eighteen girls) with a mean age of 2.28 years (SD = 1.52) answered ten open-ended questions. This qualitative study was conducted in a referral hospital in the northern region of Portugal. Qualitative data were analyzed using an inductive content analysis. Five key themes emerged from the data analysis: diving into the crisis of the child burn injury, being together and in good hands, becoming aware of an uncertain future, enhancing supportive care and environment, and finding ways to guide parents. Qualitative findings underlined the pressing need for integrated care within this context. Parents were significantly burdened and distressed during the inpatient phase. These parents should be included in the integrated care plan starting from admission. Understanding and addressing parents' healthcare needs and psychosocial adjustment difficulties is paramount to the development of future intervention programs and the delivery of suitable integrated healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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