The role of parents in medical decision making

Abstract

Parents of children being admitted to the inpatient service at the University of Michigan were surveyed with regards to their participation in medical decision making during hospitalization and their assessment of self-efficacy with physician interactions. The parents with higher self-efficacy scores had significantly greater probability of participating in medical decision making compared to the parents in the lowest group. Younger parents of previously hospitalized children were somewhat more likely to participate in medical decision making whereas parents with a high school education or less were less likely. Tarini et al suggest that interventions could be developed to increase self-efficacy that might also improve parental participation in medical decision making. Parents of children being admitted to the inpatient service at the University of Michigan were surveyed with regards to their participation in medical decision making during hospitalization and their assessment of self-efficacy with physician interactions. The parents with higher self-efficacy scores had significantly greater probability of participating in medical decision making compared to the parents in the lowest group. Younger parents of previously hospitalized children were somewhat more likely to participate in medical decision making whereas parents with a high school education or less were less likely. Tarini et al suggest that interventions could be developed to increase self-efficacy that might also improve parental participation in medical decision making.