Perioperative pathways for children with neurodevelopmental conditions and behaviours that challenge: An evaluation of parent experiences for service improvement.
Natalie Ong, Hema Ahuja, Jonathan de Lima and 5 others
PMID 39108057WHAT IT FOUND
Parents of children with neurodevelopmental conditions reported smoother hospital procedures when staff planned ahead, gave premeds before long waits, reduced fasting, and accommodated sensory needs.
Key findings
01Twenty parents returned the survey, and six of them agreed to phone interviews.
02Parents reported that premedication was sometimes successful and that none experienced long wait times during transfers.
03Parents identified staff rushing interactions and noise in the main waiting area as ongoing concerns.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only twenty parents returned the survey, and six were interviewed, so the findings are not representative. There was no comparison group and no measured clinical outcomes. Staff were not interviewed, so the study reports only the parent side. Recall of admissions may have been long, and the study period overlapped with COVID restrictions.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest and no financial support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that the pathway improves clinical safety or reduces behavioural escalation. It is a small parent-report evaluation with no comparison group, no staff interviews and no measured clinical outcomes.