Parent perspectives of engaging with a community paediatric clinic with linked child development supports in a disadvantaged area of Ireland.
Lynn Buckley, Katherine Harford, Louise Gibson and 2 others
PMID 37956389WHAT IT FOUND
Parents valued a local paediatric clinic that linked assessments, aftercare calls, home visits, and referrals into one plan.
They said it helped them manage sleep, speech, behaviour, and school readiness. Waitlists, closures, and staff changes were the main barriers.
Key findings
01Parents described thorough health and developmental checks, linked home visits, and follow-up calls as core parts of the clinic’s value.
02Parents reported help with speech, sleep, behaviour, and school readiness, and said the clinic helped them connect with other services and track their child’s development for later appointments.
03Main barriers were pandemic closures, long waits for disability and psychology assessments, clinic waiting, and staff changes that forced parents to retell their story.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 10 parents were interviewed, so the findings cannot be generalised widely. All participants were mothers, so fathers, other caregivers, and families who did not engage were not represented. Participants were selected from parents who had already consented to follow-up and had attended the clinic at least three times, so they may have been more engaged than families who did not attend or attended only once. The study reports parents’ perceptions, not measured child outcomes, and there was no comparison group. The findings come from one disadvantaged community in Ireland, so they may not transfer directly to other services. Six interviews were in person and four were by phone, which may have affected the depth of discussion.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. Funding came from the Irish Research Council and Let's Grow Together Infant & Childhood Partnerships CLG Ireland, which is one of the linked services in the clinic model.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that the clinic improves child development. The study reports parents’ perceptions from 10 mothers, with no comparison group and no measured child outcomes.