Parents' participation in medical decisions linked to sel...( ANN ARBOR Mich. The majority of par...),Health

ANN ARBOR, Mich. The majority of parents feel they play a significant role in making medical decisions for their child, according to researchers at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Childrens Hospital.

In a new study published in the October issue of the Journal of Pediatrics, 86 percent of parents report that they participate in decisions made about their hospitalized childs medical care. Researchers also found that parents who feel confident communicating with physicians as well as those parents whose child has been previously hospitalized are more likely to participate in medical decisions.

The role of parents as participants in medical decisions may significantly affect the childs health, says study lead author Beth A. Tarini, M.D., clinical lecturer and member of the Child Health Evaluation Research (CHEAR) Unit in the Division of General Pediatrics at Mott. She notes that previous research has shown that in adult patients, shared decision- making between patients and health care providers improves health outcomes.

Medical care has become more complex, and it behooves us to get parents more involved in that care, says Tarini. Ultimately, parents are responsible for the care of their child once they leave the hospital. When parents feel informed and empowered, theyre likely to be better prepared to care for their child.

For the study, Tarini and her colleagues surveyed parents of children admitted to the general pediatrics ward of a childrens hospital in Seattle during a two-month period. All parents surveyed had children younger than 18, and were given the survey within 24 to 48 hours of admission to the hospital, after the parents had met with physicians and other medical staff to discuss their childs care.

The self-administered survey, available in English and Spanish, asked 130 parents general questions about their hospital experience in order to evaluate their participation in medical decision-ma
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