Empower Parents Research Articles

Effect of a children's at-home nursing team on reducing emergency admissions.

This article explores the effect of a children's at-home nursing team, Hospital at Home (H@H), which aimed to reduce demand on acute hospital beds, support families to improve patient experience, and empower parents to care safely for their unwell children and help prevent emergency department (ED) reattendance. Data on demographics and clinical presentation of H@H and ED attendances were collected and compared. A survey measuring parents' confidence in managing their unwell children was also conducted. Of 72 patients treated by the H@H service between May and July 2016, 32 (44%) would have been admitted to hospital from the ED if the H@H service had not existed. This is equivalent to a saving of 64 bed days. Patients treated by the H@H service had similar demographics to those discharged from the ED to usual care. The H@H service took on patients with higher Bedside Paediatric Early Warning System scores before discharge. Parents reported that they would be more confident caring for their children after discharge from the H@H service. The H@H service decreased the number of unnecessary ED admissions. The service promotes a positive patient experience and increases parents' confidence when caring for unwell children at home.

Avaliação da estimulação e apoio no ambiente familiar oferecido à criança com paralisia cerebral

A família é um espaço privilegiado para o desenvolvimento do indivíduo e da sociedade. Assim, o objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar a frequência da estimulação e apoio oferecido à criança no ambiente familiar, baseado na perspectiva dos pais. Participaram 17 mães e dois pais de crianças com paralisia cerebral com idade entre um a 12 anos. Os participantes foram entrevistados em centros de atendimento à criança, instituição educacional e no próprio domicílio. O questionário aplicado foi o EC-Home. Os dados quantitativos foram analisados por meio de métodos descritivos (frequência absoluta, relativa e média aritmética). Os resultados demonstraram que os pais são responsivos às necessidades dos filhos e tentam manter-se próximos deles na maior parte do tempo; oferecem estímulos, principalmente relacionados aos aspectos acadêmicos e de linguagem. Conclui-se que os dados podem auxiliar outras pesquisas na proposição de programas de intervenção focados em famílias, a fim de maximizar a estimulação que pode ser oferecida aos filhos e empoderar os pais, apontados como os principais agentes para o desenvolvimento infantil.

To treat NAS, use mother‐infant bond; results include reduced use of morphine, length of stay, and costs

Infants born to mothers who are in treatment for opioid use disorders with methadone are sometimes born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a constellation of symptoms associated with opioid withdrawal. The old way of treating these infants — and the current way in many institutions — is to put them in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and treat them with gradually decreasing doses of morphine. But keep out of the NICU, standardize nonpharmacologic care, and empower parents, and what do you get? A reduction in the percentage of infants treated with morphine from 98% to 14%, a reduction in average length of stay (ALOS) from 22.4 to 5.9 days, and a decrease in costs from $44,824 to $10,289. That is what researchers at Yale New Haven Children's Hospital discovered when they implemented novel “plan‐do‐study‐act” cycles in 2010 in response to a dramatic increase in the number of infants born there who had been exposed to methadone in utero (a 74% increase from 2003 to 2009).

Supporting the developmental health of refugee children and youth.

The Canadian Government has announced that over 50,000 refugees from the Middle East will be resettled in Canada by 2018. More than one-third of these refugees are expected to be children. The Canadian Paediatric Society has called for the Canadian government to prepare for the influx of these children. This should include addressing developmental, behavioural, and mental health needs. The focus of this paper is the role of paediatricians and family physicians in caring for the developmental health of refugee children, as a means of supporting their developmental and learning potential. The authors suggest the use of EMPOWER (Education, Migration, Parents and Family, Outlook, Words, Experience of Trauma and Resources), a mnemonic checklist they developed for assessing developmental risk factors in refugee children. EMPOWER can be used along with online web resources such as Caring For Kids New to Canada in providing evidence-informed care to these children.

Good Googling: A Consumer Health Literacy Program Empowering Parents to Find Quality Health Information Online

ABSTRACTOnly 12% of Americans possess adequate health literacy skills. Among the populations cited with the lowest health literacy are those who experience chronic health conditions. A pilot health information literacy program was designed for parents of children with complex medical needs to help improve low health literacy in this population. The program targeted finding and determining trustworthy information online and was evaluated using a pre-post survey design. After the program parents’ confidence improved significantly in finding, interpreting, and judging quality online health information. These skills play an important role in promoting family-centered care and decreasing the burden on health care consumers.

Predictors of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine uptake or intent among parents of preadolescents and adolescents

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine predictors of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake or intent among parents of pre-adolescents and adolescents.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among parents of girls aged 9 to 18 years, visiting two primary care clinics in central Texas from September to November 2015. Pearson’s product-moment correlation procedures and path analyses based on Health Belief Model were performed.Results: Path analysis showed that provider recommendation for HPV vaccination (β = 0.37; p < .001) and perceived HPV vaccine harm (β = -0.48; p < .001) had statistically significant direct effects on HPV vaccine uptake or intent. The perceived HPV vaccine effectiveness was directly influenced by HPV knowledge (β = 0.39; p < .001), empowerment in parent-provider relationships (β = 0.30; p = .006) and parental college education (β = 0.23; p = .039).}Conclusions: Together with parental empowerment fostering an equal partnership with providers, targeted education to improve parental HPV knowledge may convince them of the HPV vaccine effectiveness. This, in turn, may help them put the perceived HPV vaccine harm in proper perspective and allow them to make informed decisions regarding the timely HPV vaccination of their children. Because provider recommendation is one of the most important contributing factors for HPV vaccine uptake or intent, parental education and recommendations from nurses will help reduce the knowledge gaps and empower parents to make the timely decisions to vaccinate their children.

Issues Arising in Psychological Consultations to Help Parents Talk to Minor and Young Adult Children about their Cancer Genetic Test Result: a Guide to Providers.

The defining difference between genetic and traditional medicine is that genetic findings have implications not just for the patient, but also for their relatives. Discussion of a test result between parent and child is both a transformative and a translational moment in the life of a family. Parents report wanting help in talking to their children. The challenge for genetic counselors and other providers is to be able to recognize which issues are at the core of parental distress and be able to offer recommendations to empower and support parents. The complexity of potential genetic findings, including variants of uncertain significance (VUS) and incidental findings have vastly increased, requiring considerable explanation and leaving less time for discussion of emotional issues. While the nature of the testing (single gene to multigene panel and genomic testing) is dramatically changing, the nature of parent concerns remains remarkably constant. Families differ in many respects, so no "recipe" suffices to answer parents' questions about how this important task should be approached in each family. Successful consultation to parents requires true counseling, matching parents' fears and questions with information, exploration and advice specific to their concerns, their circumstances and strengths.

Community-Based Programming Promoting Physical Activity

Abstract Date Presented 4/8/2016 This program employed occupation-based methods to raise awareness of resources available in the community to support physical activity and empower parents to make healthier lifestyle choices in families’ daily occupations. Results suggest the value of local programming for health and wellness. Primary Author and Speaker: Jennifer Hight Additional Author and Speaker: Colleen Schneck, Shirley O’Brien Contributing Author: Leslie Hardman

G592 Empowering parents to manage everyday childhood illness at home

Context The project was part of a Quality Improvement Fellowship. It worked directly with the local Sure Start children centres. It worked alongside a local strategy to provide paediatric patients with the best care in the most appropriate setting. Problem The aim was to enable children centre staff to empower parents and provide reassurance on managing everyday childhood illnesses at home. Assessment of problem and analysis of its causes A Pre-project questionnaire, completed by 85 parents, demonstrated that most take their children to the emergency department seeking reassurance. The project worked with 2 of 4 local children’s ‘Sure Start’ centres to provide parents with key points to manage 3 commonly seen childhood illnesses at home. The focus was on empowering parents and reassuring them to trust their own instincts. Intervention A facilitator guide and parent information leaflet was produced using information already in circulation. Six childhood illness sessions were run, by the author, during parent and children groups in Sure Start. This was both a demonstration to Sure Start facilitators and gained parent feedback. At the end of each session verbal feedback from facilitators and parents was reviewed and material revised (PDSA cycles). The final version incorporated basic ‘games’ such as true/ false flash cards and question and answer flash cards. Parents stated they found the information ‘useful’, ‘reassuring’ or ‘helpful’. Facilitators found the material ‘easy to use’ and described the sessions as ‘engaging’. They would be able to run a session themselves. A working group was set up to embed the sessions into the regular groups. Strategy for change The material was introduced at the Sure Start Team Lead meetings and parent groups over a 4 month period. The facilitators had opportunity to review the material and observe sessions. They were directly observed and supported when running their first session. The CCG Lead for Sure Start was involved throughout and was key in helping to support the program. A working group of experienced staff was created by the Sure Start Team Lead. The current pilot will run over 6 months Measurement of improvement The material was trialled and reviewed by requesting verbal feedback from both parents and facilitators. The initial three sessions were well received by parents. Facilitators felt apprehensive about responding to medical questions. 7 out of 9 were not confident to run a session alone. More structure and guidance was added and the information was put into a ‘game ‘format’. 3 revised sessions were run. After observing, 7 out of 7 (100%) group facilitators were confident to run a session. A further process measure was the numbers of regular sessions run by confident group facilitators within children centres. This is currently 3 a month in one of the local areas. Effects of changes The parents exposed to the sessions gave positive feedback such as ‘If I had known this before I wouldn’t have worried’ or ‘It’s good to have people coming into groups to talk to parents about things like that’. The main problem was engaging the Sure Start centre staff to lead a session. They liked the material and the sessions but felt apprehensive about leading a session. It took longer than expected to engage them. Lessons learnt I have learnt how important engagement is. Next time I will set up a working group earlier to gain better engagement. Message for others My project has highlighted how important it is to involve patients in new initiatives. For paediatric patients it is really important to understand why parents bring their children in as an emergency. For change to happen it is important to engage and empower parents to make the right choices for their children.

Role of Professionals in the Educational Interventions of Children with Disabilities

Issues of professional roles were/are overlooked in developing countries, specifically in ours. Due to this fact, this study was undertaken to investigate the roles and capabilities of professionals in relation to the education policy statements of children with disabilities. The subjects covered in the study were purposefully selected from two schools in Jimma; experts of district Education Office and college instructors in the zone. The instruments employed to collect data were interview, FGD and observations. The finding of the study discloses that there is role confusion among professionals concerning their areas of expertise. Policies that were implemented from the best intensions of the providers do not exceed a statement made between the decision makers and the implementers. Professionals were/are misplaced and most experts are stranger for the field. Lack of specific policy and laws that states responsibilities of professionals are nonexistent that in turn hampers the education of those children. Special education teachers were regarded as the only responsible professionals in the education of children with disabilities. Hence, there is a need for a clearly stated education guide that uncover the roles and responsibilities of professionals in the education including their participation in curriculum planning, educational decision making, and placement of children with disabilities in the region. Empowering, training and counseling parents, conducting research on the educational intervention are some recommended roles of professionals.

G261(P) Transition to Parenthood Innovative resources to support families in the first 1001 critical days

AimsThere here is strong evidence of the benefits of supporting families in the first 1001 critical days not only because of impact on child outcomes but because parents are especially...

부모교육 프로그램의 효과성 메타분석 : 국내 학술지 연구를 중심으로

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether parent education programs conducted in South Korea were effective in changing in parents' behaviors, parents' internal characteristics, and children's characteristics. We retrieved journal articles published in Korea between 2006 and 2011 using keyword searches of electronic databases. A total of 41 studies were included in our meta-analyses. The results showed that parent education programs had large positive effects on parents' behavioral changes and children's changes along with medium to large effects on parents' internal changes. The strengths of effect sizes varied depending upon program characteristics including children's age, the number of participants, participants' gender, the number of sessions, and group characteristics. This study provided powerful scientific evidence for public policies and services that aim to support and empower parents by providing parent education programs.

The Ironies of School Choice: Empowering Parents and Reconceptualizing Public Education

School choice policy, especially as embedded in No Child Left Behind, assumes that empowering parents with choice will improve education by holding schools accountable and will reenergize democratic participation in public education. While parents are seen as critical change agents, little research documents how engaging in school choice affects parents’ lived experiences as citizens engaged in the democratic process. This 1-year case study based on parent interviews and participant observation at a foreign language immersion magnet school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, suggests that choice works in complex, contradictory ways to both empower and disempower parents as participatory citizens in democratic change and that market-driven school choice situates parents as consumers and thus redefines education as a private rather than a public good. The implications for fulfilling the promises of parent empowerment through school choice are examined.

Evaluation of a peer led parenting intervention for disruptive behaviour problems in children: community based randomised controlled trial

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of a peer led parenting intervention delivered to socially disadvantaged families.Design Randomised controlled trial. Setting Schools and children’s centres in a socially deprived borough of...

Pancreatic Cancer Prevention and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Pancreatic Cancer Prevention and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

FC05-02 - An applied behavior analysis training package in the treatment of autism. The use of principles of pivotal response treatment in a child psychiatric clinic

IntroductionIn a child psychiatric clinic for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) a long waiting list and outplacement difficulties were a substantial problem in the past years. This problem has been tackled by going back to the main focus of our treatment, ensuring that children are able to go back home to their parents after clinical treatment.By redefining the main goal of clinical treatment in return to the family this problem has been overcome. In the search of tools to empower child and parents we adjusted the principles of Pivotal Response Treatment to our clinical setting.ObjectiveTo empower child and parents in order to make a return to the family possible.AimThe aim was to improve the learning environment in the clinical treatment groups and at home in order to increase child initiatives.MethodsAn Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) training package was developed for the staff in order to increase learning situations in the clinic. Elements within the package are a two-day training workshop in ABA techniques, live feedback and video feedback during three months after training. For parents an ABA parent group training was developed in order to increase learning situations at home. In the training parents were introduced with ABA techniques and received video feedback. Parents participated in eight group sessions and two individual sessions.Results and conclusionsAt the time of writing this study is still in progress. At the Congress the first preliminary results will be discussed and the first conclusions will be drawn.

Preventing obesity at weaning: parental views about the EMPOWER programme

Infant growth and lifestyle are now recognized as being critical determinants of later obesity. EMPOWER (Empowering Parents to Prevent Obesity at Weaning: Exploratory Research) was developed as an intervention for parents whose babies are at high risk. Delivered by specially trained health visitors, it is underpinned by the Family Partnership Model and uses a strengths-based, solution-focused way of working with families. Mothers of babies participating in the pilot of EMPOWER in Leeds were recruited to take part in a study to examine perceptions about the programme's acceptability and usefulness. Interviews were taped and transcribed, and thematic analysis undertaken. Families talked positively about the approach of the EMPOWER health visitor with her emphasis on listening, partnership working and shared problem-solving. Parents particularly valued the use of a non-judgemental approach, which they felt had helped them to discuss openly, sensitive issues such as weight and diet. They identified a number of important benefits ranging from increased knowledge about the most appropriate types and amount of food to feed their toddler, to more far-reaching changes within the family as a whole, including modifications to their own diet and lifestyle. Programmes of this nature were perceived as more valuable than the standard help that is currently available. The EMPOWER programme appears to be both acceptable and valued by targeted parents and a potentially effective means of supporting high-risk families to prevent their children from developing obesity. An exploratory randomized controlled trial is now underway to ascertain the feasibility of conducting a definitive phase 3 trial.

Delivery of the Nutrition Supplementation Programme in the Cape Town metropolitan area from the perspective of mothers of under-5s: A qualitative study

Background . Child malnutrition is a major problem in South Africa despite implementation of various policies and programmes. Ideally these programmes should be delivered within a human rights paradigm, i.e. parents are responsible for their children’s health, while the State authority is obliged to help parents meet their responsibility. The Nutrition Supplementation Programme (NSP) aims to help underweight children gain weight and empower parents to tackle malnutrition. Objective . To study mothers’ experience with the NSP, and assess this in relation to South Africa’s emphasis on human rights. Subjects and methods . Seven focus group discussions were conducted with a total of 28 mothers of under-5s included in the NSP. The methodology used is particularly suitable for disclosing unexplored and unexpected issues. Results . Most mothers expressed satisfaction with receiving the supplements, which they perceived to be nutritious. However, they had received little or no education and lacked knowledge and skills regarding how to help their children gain weight. In addition, many mothers had experienced poor communication with staff members as well as unfavourable comments and lack of respect. These experiences and perceptions were real for mothers and indicate that the way the NSP was delivered resulted in inadequate compliance with certain principles of human rights, especially respect for human dignity, client participation and empowerment. Conclusions . Even though small studies are relatively prone to bias, this qualitative study is informative. More focus on the education part of the NSP would enable mothers to manage their children’s nutrition better. Measures to improve health workers’ knowledge of how to work within a human rights paradigm are necessary in order to strengthen accountability of the health authorities and improve children’s health.

Autonomy, Participation and Learning: Findings from Argentine Schools, and Implications for Decentralization

Student learning can be raised by school autonomy and parental participation through separate channels, but this paper suggests a mutually supportive effect. Increased school autonomy increases the rent that can be distributed among stakeholders at the school, while institutions for parental participation (such as a school board) empower parents to command a higher share of this surplus, for instance through student learning. Results from a sample of sixth‐grade and seventh‐grade Argentine students and their schools suggest that autonomy and participation raise student test scores in such a multiplicative way. For subsamples of children from poor households, children of uneducated mothers, schools with low mean family economic status, and public schools, the results are the same or stronger. The data available do not allow the potential endogeneity of autonomy and participation to be ruled out with certainty. If decentralization moves responsibility from the center toward local level governments, the results are relevant if this raises autonomy and participation in schools. More generally, the results are relevant for efforts to moving decision‐making towards users and the local community. More importantly, perhaps, we illustrate the importance of checking who is empowered when higher‐level strings are loosened.

Talking with parents before newborn screening

Parents typically make all sorts of decisions about their children's health care. 1 Hickson G.B. Clayton E.W. Parents and their children's doctors. in: Bornstein M.H. Handbook of parenting. 2nd edition. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, NJ2002: 439-462 Google Scholar They decide when to provide care themselves or to seek help and guidance. They decide whether to follow the clinician's advice about child-rearing, medications, and tests. Efforts are rarely made, either by clinicians or by the state, to override parents' decisions. There are a lot of reasons for this relatively deferential stance toward parents. Some are quite practical, even utilitarian. Clinicians recognize that parents, who almost always initiate the contact, will not come as readily when they fear they are going to be overruled. Parents are usually in the room when children are poked, prodded, and stuck, and it would be odd not to say something about what is going on and why. Further, parents are less likely to adhere to recommendations when they do not understand them or feel that they were treated rudely. Many clinicians believe that empowering patients and parents to take a greater role in their health care leads to better outcomes. Other reasons for deferring to parents reflect an evolving ethical understanding of the foundations of medical care. Health care decisions often reflect values that vary in socially acceptable ways among individuals. The relatively recent notion that patients, and in the case of children, their parents, have a role to play in their health care reflects a commitment to honoring the values of patients, who are, after all, the ones primarily affected by health care choices.