%0 Journal Article
%T Understanding Parents¡¯ Experiences and Information Needs on Pediatric Acute Otitis Media: A Qualitative Study
%A Alyson Campbell
%A Lisa Hartling
%A Salima Meherali
%A Shannon Scott
%J Journal of Patient Experience
%@ 2374-3743
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/2374373518771362
%X Acute otitis media (AOM) is the most common pediatric bacterial ear infection, affecting up to 75% of children younger than 5 years. Despite the high incidence of AOM in children, the condition presents a number of challenges to parents. The objectives of this study were to describe parents¡¯ experiences of taking care of a child with AOM and to identify their information needs to manage their child with AOM. A qualitative, descriptive design was used to gain insight into information needs of parents¡¯ of children with AOM. Participants were recruited from a specialized pediatric emergency department in a major Canadian urban center (Edmonton, Alberta). Individual semi structured interviews were conducted with 16 parents. Seven major themes were identified and described: (1) frequency of AOM, (2) symptoms of AOM experienced by children and parents, (3) AOM symptom management strategies used by parents, (4) parent¡¯s beliefs about AOM, (5) parent¡¯s satisfaction with treatment prescribed by physicians, (6) the effect of AOM on family¡¯s quality of life, and (7) parent¡¯s information needs about AOM. Findings indicate that AOM has considerable negative outcomes for both children and families and that parents would benefit from having more evidence-based resources. This study provides important information around parents¡¯ experiences and information needs for pediatric AOM. Identifying parents¡¯ information needs and developing innovative and communicatively responsive educational approaches for parents are warranted that reflect patient-centered nursing care
%K acute otitis media
%K pediatric
%K parent¡¯s experiences
%K information need
%K qualitative
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2374373518771362