Article Text
Abstract
Current trends in healthcare is integrating parental perceptions in developing quality indicators and parent satisfaction is increasingly recognised as standard quality measure. A multidisciplinary approach is recommended in developing satisfaction questionnaires including parents. Their involvement rationalise the integration of family-centred care principles. Implementing parent satisfaction provides close collaboration between parents and healthcare professionals with a shared vision as outcome: Improvement of care for the (critically) ill neonates, children, and their parents.
The recently developed EMPATHIC instruments, measuring the experiences and satisfaction of parents in PICU and NICU, are increasingly used in several countries.3,4 The short version, EMPATHIC-30, is currently studied to test its feasibility on paediatric wards.5 The instruments also provide qualitative data. Stories of parents often present in-depth information on certain episodes during the admission of their child. These episodes become valuable in defining interventions for quality improvement.
In summary, empowerment of parents is considered essential in nursing care improvement while parent satisfaction should be considered as a (new) quality performance indicator.
References Dall’Oglio I, Protanova A, Fiori M, et al. Translation and cultural adaptation of the Dutch EMPATHIC-N questionnaires for Italian NICU settings to measure parent satisfaction. Pediatr Crit Care Med 2014;15(4 Suppl):143
Grandjean C, Latour JM, Cotting J, et al. Parental perceptions of their child’s care in PICU: Preliminary results. Pediatr Crit Care Med 2014;15(4 Suppl):156
Latour JM, Duivenvoorden HJ, Hazelzet JA, et al. The shortened EMPATHIC-30 questionnaire adequately measured parent satisfaction in pediatric intensive care units. J Clin Epidemiol 2013;66:1045–50