The safety netting behaviour of first contact clinicians: a qualitative study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Acute illness is common in childhood, and it is difficult for healthcare professionals to distinguish seriously ill children from the vast majority with minor or self-limiting illnesses. Safety netting provides parents with advice on when and where to return if their child deteriorates, and it is widely recommended that parents of acutely sick young children should be given safety netting advice. Yet little is known about how and when this is given. We aimed to understand what safety netting advice first contact clinicians give parents of acutely sick young children, how, when, and why.

Methods

This was a qualitative study. Interviews and focus groups were held with doctors and nurses in a general practice surgery, a District General Hospital emergency department,

SUBMITTER: Jones CH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3849506 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature