Noll S, Spitz L, Pierro A
Department of Paediatric Surgery, The Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust, University College London, London, England, UK.
J Pediatr Surg. 2001 May;36(5):791-4. doi: 10.1053/jpsu.2001.22962.
The aim of this study was to (1) characterize the source of additional medical information acquired by parents and (2) to verify how much information is correctly interpreted and remembered correctly.
A cross-sectional prospective study was made of parents of 108 children with surgical diseases consecutively admitted to a children's hospital in 1999. The median age of the children was 3 years (range, 0.01 to 16), and that of parents was 34 years (range, 18 to 54). Parental knowledge and understanding of their child's illness, operation, potential operative risk, and long-term outcome were scored on the basis of (1) parents' self appraisal (questionnaire) and (2) objective evaluation (interview) performed by one investigator not involved in the child's care.
Parents' education included a university degree (15%), entry examination for university (13%), basic educational qualification (47%), and no educational qualification (15%). Additional medical information was obtained by 77% of the parents (63% from general practitioner, 46% from books, 31% from popular magazines, 24% from internet). Inadequate knowledge of illness and treatment was highlighted in 12% and 19% of the assessment made by interview, respectively, compared with 8% and 14% of the self appraisals. Inadequate knowledge of operative risk was higher in the assessment made by interview (42%) compared with self appraisal (9%; P <.0001). Similarly, inadequate knowledge of long-term outcome was higher in the interview (28%) compared with self appraisal (13%; P <.05). Acquisition of additional medical information irrespective of the source did not affect the accuracy of parental knowledge. Medical knowledge was more accurate in parents of children who required major operations and in those with higher educational qualifications (P <.05).
Parents commonly obtain additional medical information. However, this information does not necessarily improve parents' understanding of the child's operative risk and long-term problems. Parents' perception of having adequate medical information often is incorrect.
本研究的目的是（1）描述父母获取的额外医学信息的来源，以及（2）验证有多少信息得到了正确解读和准确记忆。
对1999年连续入住一家儿童医院的108名患有外科疾病儿童的父母进行了一项横断面前瞻性研究。儿童的中位年龄为3岁（范围0.01至16岁），父母的中位年龄为34岁（范围18至54岁）。根据以下两点对父母关于其孩子的疾病、手术、潜在手术风险和长期预后的知识与理解进行评分：（1）父母的自我评估（问卷调查），以及（2）由一名未参与孩子护理的调查员进行的客观评估（访谈）。
父母的教育程度包括大学学位（15%）、大学入学考试学历（13%）、基础教育资格（47%）和无教育资格（15%）。77%的父母获取了额外的医学信息（63%来自全科医生，46%来自书籍，31%来自通俗杂志，24%来自互联网）。访谈评估中分别有12%和19%的父母对疾病和治疗的知识不足，而自我评估中这一比例分别为8%和14%。访谈评估中对手术风险知识不足的比例（42%）高于自我评估（9%；P<.0001）。同样，访谈中对长期预后知识不足的比例（28%）高于自我评估（13%；P<.05）。无论信息来源如何，获取额外医学信息均未影响父母知识的准确性。在需要进行大手术的孩子的父母以及教育程度较高的父母中，医学知识更准确（P<.05）。
父母通常会获取额外的医学信息。然而，这些信息不一定能提高父母对孩子手术风险和长期问题 的理解。父母认为自己拥有足够医学信息的认知往往是不正确的。
