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conferenceseries.com
Volume 2, Issue 5 (Suppl) Clin Pediatr, an open access journal
ISSN: 2572-0775 Pediatric Nursing 2017
September 04-05, 2017
September 04-05, 2017 | Edinburgh, Scotland
Pediatric Nursing & Healthcare
28th International Conference on
Exploring parental reasons for attendance at emergency departments for children with minor illness: A
mixed methods systematic review
Ahmet Butun, Mark Linden, Fiona Lynn and Jennifer McGaughey
Queen’s University Belfast, UK
Statement of the Problem: The demand for urgent healthcare services is increasing, and the pressure on emergency departments
(EDs) is of significant concern worldwide. The usage of EDs by parents of children with minor illness is an important and still
unresolved problem causing a burden to healthcare services. The aim of this review was to explore the literature surrounding parental
reasons for visiting ED for children with minor illness.
Method: Seven electronic databases (Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus) were
comprehensively searched during a two-week period in August 2016. The study selection process was undertaken independently by
two authors. Data were analysed by means of narrative synthesis.
Results: 22 studies were included. 12 studies employed quantitative methods, nine studies used qualitative methods, and one study
used mixed methods. Parental reasons for using ED included perceived urgency, ED advantages (e.g. faster service, superior ED
resources and efficiency), and difficulties with getting a GP appointment, lack of facilities in primary healthcare services, lack of
health insurance, reassurance, convenience and access.
Conclusion & Significance: This review identified some of the reasons why parents bring their children to the ED for minor illnesses
highlighting the multifaceted nature of this problem. Identifying such reasons may help us to better design targeted interventions
which seek to reduce unnecessary ED visits which would save overstretched healthcare resources. This review may help inform
emergency care policy makers and healthcare staffs in better understanding why parents choose to visit the ED for non-urgent
childhood illnesses.
Biography
Ahmet Butun has expertise in the field of Emergency Nursing. He obtained his Master’s degree at University of Nottingham. His master’s dissertation focused on
“Why parents choose to use the emergency department for children presenting with minor illness”. He is currently a PhD student at Queen’s University Belfast and
his research project seeks to identify parental reasons for visiting ED rather than their primary healthcare providers in the context of developing countries.
Ahmet Butun et al., Clin Pediatr 2017, 2:5(Suppl)
DOI: 10.4172/2572-0775-C1-005