Crossroads of parental decision making: Intersections of hope, communication, relationships, and emotions.
Amie Koch, Tara Albrecht, Arthi S Kozhumam and 3 others
PMID 34967680WHAT IT FOUND
Parents of infants with complex congenital heart disease wanted honest, hopeful communication.
Sugarcoating or avoiding bad news left them feeling alone and less able to decide. Clear provider communication and trusting relationships were linked to hope and decision making.
Key findings
01Parents reported that clear and honest provider communication enhanced hope and supported decision making.
02Sugarcoating or withholding information made parents feel frustrated and deprived of vital information.
03Weak parent-provider relationships and provider judgments about parents were linked to emotional distance, less hope, and difficulty with shared decision making.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The data were collected between 2008 and 2015, so current treatments and care models may differ. The analysis used only 11 cases of infants with complex congenital heart disease, not the broader original sample, so the themes may not transfer to other conditions or settings. The study was qualitative and did not test whether communication strategies change hope, relationships, or decision making. The sample came from an academic medical center in the southeastern United States, so other health systems and families may experience these issues differently.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research. The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that a communication strategy improves decision making or patient outcomes. The study describes what parents and providers said about hope, relationships, and communication, and it did not test an intervention.