Hardman, S.J., Shackley, F., Condliffe, A. et al. (2 more authors) (2021) Parental experience of prophylactic antibiotics. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 106 (6). pp. 577-582. ISSN 0003-9888
Abstract
Background and objectives Long-term prophylactic antibiotics are often used to prevent bacterial infections. However, supporting evidence for this is not always robust. Including parents in decisions relating to medication is key to medicines optimisation. Parental concern regarding medication is a major determinant of poor adherence. This study explores parental experiences of having a child prescribed prophylactic antibiotics and how that affects their antibiotic use behaviour.
Methods We conducted a prospective, single-centre, exploratory, qualitative study at Sheffield Children’s Hospital. Through 15 interviews, involving 18 participants, we explored parental ‘lived experiences’ and attitudes towards azithromycin prophylaxis prescribed for various respiratory conditions. Thematic analysis was conducted.
Results The overriding factor influencing parental decisions about the uptake of antibiotic prophylaxis is wanting their child to be well now. The main concern voiced by parents is that of antibiotic resistance given their children are high users of antibiotics. This is however seen as a problem for the future, not the present. Preparing families adequately helps prevent practical difficulties relating to medication. Facilitating ‘normalisation’ of prophylaxis through daily routines and minimising disruption to the family environment may reduce parental anxiety, promote adherence and result in easing of potential restrictions to the child’s daily activities.
Conclusion Grounded in our deeper understanding, we propose a behavioural model that describes phases parents go through while having a child on prophylactic antibiotics. Time invested in holistically addressing the parental experience and having an awareness of potential issues parents face, may facilitate medication adherence, reduce anxieties and improve doctor-parent relationships.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. This is an author-produced version of a paper subsequently published in Archives of Disease in Childhood. This version is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial Licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. You may not use the material for commercial purposes. |
Keywords: | general paediatrics; paediatric practice; patient perspective; qualitative research; respiratory |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health (Sheffield) > School of Health and Related Research (Sheffield) > ScHARR - Sheffield Centre for Health and Related Research |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 03 Nov 2020 13:54 |
Last Modified: | 09 Feb 2022 12:01 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | BMJ |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1136/archdischild-2020-319191 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:167591 |