Parents' help-seeking behaviour
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding parents’ experience and help-seeking behaviour in response to acute childhood illness, managed in primary care
IRAS ID
218614
Contact name
Rachel Shaw
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Aston University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 18 days
Research summary
Children's health services are under increasing pressure as a result of a complex interplay of factors, and there has been an increase in the number of short-stay admissions of children under 5yrs of age. Different explanations are provided including reduced access to primary care, parental preferences, skills and expertise of GP's. This study focuses on the role of the parent, to understand and explore their experience of what happens when their child is ill, and they decide to seek professional help. The study will also examine the experience of Health Care Professionals caring for these children, to understand their perceptions and experiences of parents/carers (henceforth, parents will be used but please take this to mean parents/carers).
Research objectives:
• To understand parental sense of control when managing acute childhood illness
• To understand parents’ help-seeking behaviour in response to acute childhood illness
• To understand the experiences of parents, when managing acute childhood illness
• To understand the experience of health care professionals in supporting parents of children with acute childhood illness, which is clinically managed in primary careThis is a purely qualitative study comprising of semi-structured interviews with health care professionals, and parents with children under 5 years who experienced acute illness which was managed in primary care. The theoretical paradigm is phenomenological, and as such Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) will be employed.
Parents will be asked to take part in the study by a Health Care Professional, following their appointment. Following this verbal consent, written consent will be required prior to the interview. A briefing event will be held with the Health Care Professionals to inform them of the study and invite them to take part.
Participants will be interviewed at the practice premises, Salford Children's Partnership, at a convenient time; the interviews will be recorded, transcribed and analysed.
REC name
East of England - Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/EE/0432
Date of REC Opinion
21 Feb 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion