Parent perspectives on multidisciplinary pediatric hearing healthcare

Introduction: Family-centered healthcare demands that families provide input regarding the care of their children. Very little is known, however, about how families perceive their experience in different types of multidisciplinary team models, and specifically, in the multidisciplinary setting currently utilized in many pediatric hearing clinics. Methods: Quantitative and qualitative parent survey responses were collected and analyzed in a tertiary care pediatric medical center after a one-day multidisciplinary assessment clinical appointment. Questions pertained to information across five domains, including overall experience, diagnosis, treatment plan formulation, additional testing, and resources. Quantitative responses were analyzed descriptively while qualitative responses were evaluated using content analysis to derive themes. Quantitative and qualitative data were evaluated separately and then compared to delineate themes for strengths and weaknesses. Results: Overall, high satisfaction was evident in both quantitative and qualitative responses. Results suggested that a one-day multidisciplinary assessment appointment may contribute to parents feeling overwhelmed by information shared and not fully understanding which disciplines are providing care. Analysis revealed a specific area of weakness in our particular setting was inadequate provision of information about functional hearing (e.g., listening socially and academically). Results contributed to a change from a multidisciplinary team model to an interdisciplinary care coordination approach to pediatric hearing healthcare. Conclusions: Understanding parent perspectives and expectations is the corner stone of family-centered care and may ultimately influence a child's developmental outcome. A systematic way of evaluating parent perspectives on the clinical process can influence service delivery and help children with hearing loss meet their potential.