Meeting the information needs of children in hospital.
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2013Access:
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Lambert V, Glacken M, McCarron M, Meeting the information needs of children in hospital., Journal of child health care : for professionals working with children in the hospital and community, 17, 4, 2013, 338-353Download Item:
J Child Health Care-2013-Lambert-338-53.pdf (Published (author's copy) - Peer Reviewed) 543.6Kb
Abstract:
The provision of information is an individual entitlement and a prerequisite to enabling children to
understand their illness, make choices about their health care and be involved in decision-making
processes around these choices. However, limited evidence exists on children’s perspectives of
information provision while an inpatient in hospital. The aim of this paper is to describe the process
of information exchange between health professionals and children in hospital. Informed by an
ethnographic design, data were collected using multiple methods, including semi-participant
observations, interviews and participatory activities. Forty-nine children aged six to 16 years, with
a variety of medical and surgical conditions, admitted to one children’s ward at one children’s hos-
pital participated in the research. Findings revealed that children encountered a variety of informa-
tion management experiences. The key message for health professionals is that there is a need to
develop child- and family-focussed strategies for assessing children’s information needs in order to
determine their preferences for information (amount, format, from whom, etc.), to develop a
method for gaining an appreciation of parents’ and health professionals’ beliefs about the optimal
amount and type of information to relay to children, and to achieve consensus about who is best
placed to transmit this information to children.
Author's Homepage:
http://people.tcd.ie/mccarrmhttp://people.tcd.ie/oconneso
Description:
PUBLISHED
Author: MC CARRON, MARY; MC CONNON, SONYA
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Journal ArticleCollections:
Series/Report no:
Journal of child health care : for professionals working with children in the hospital and community;17;
4;
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Full text availableKeywords:
Children, hospital, information, needsLicences: