[tri-med] FYI - Users' views on hospital and home care for acute illness in childhood 

I am forwarding this article or URL for your information (FYI) as I believe
it may be of interest and is from a reliable source. As always, check the
information with your own doctor or health care professional before starting
or changing any treatments.

Users' views on hospital and home care for acute illness in childhood
Samantha A. Sartain1 BA MSc, Melanie J. Maxwell2 MRCPI/MFPHM, Peter J. Todd3
MBBS MRCP DCH, Alan R Haycox4 BA MA PhD and Peter E Bundred5 MBBS MD DCH DCM

1 Wirral Services for Child Health, UK, 2 Wirral hospital NHS Trust, Arrowe
Park hospital, Upton, Wirral UK, 3 Department of Pharmacology and
Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, UK, 4 Department of Primary Care,
University of Liverpool, UK




Abstract
This mainly qualitative study compared 40 families' experience of hospital
and home care. This is one aspect of a randomised, controlled trial, which
aimed to evaluate the clinical and cost effectiveness of a paediatric
hospital at home service (HAH) for acute illness in children. This paper
builds upon previous work that has aimed to examine parents' and children's
views as service users. Forty families from a larger sample population took
part in structured interviews. Eleven children aged 5 to 12 years took part
in semistructured interviews. A drawing technique was the chosen method of
augmentation in the children's interviews. Research findings showed that HAH
is an acceptable alternative to hospital care where there are essentially
nursing needs. Thirty-six (90%) parents and seven children stated a clear
preference for HAH. The parents' preference was based on a perception that
their child's illness wasn't serious or life threatening and therefore could
be managed at home with appropriate support from health professionals. The
social and financial costs of hospital care compared with HAH were the other
main drivers, rather than a comparison of the quality of nursing care of
their child.

Keywords: acute illness, hospital at home, hospital care, users'
preferences, users' views


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----

CorrespondenceMelanie J Maxwell Clinical Practice Research Unit Arrowe Park
hospital Upton Wirral CH49 5PE UK
E-mail:melanie.maxwell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Accepted for publication 5 January 2001

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/Journals/content/abstracts/hsc/2001/9/2/abs
tract_hsc287.asp?journal=hsc&issueid=5456&artid=104076&cid=hsc.2001.1&ftype=
abstracts

Traditions are the things we do during the bad times while we wait for the
good times to come again.

Keep Looking for Rainbows!!!
Karen, Mum to Alex (6, T-18 mosaic)
Sydney, Australia
http://members.optushome.com.au/karens
http://www.trisomyonline.org

                  Building ___ooOOoo__ Rainbows
                       www.trisomyonline.org
                  Families Helping Families On-line

Other related posts: