Chinese Parents' Perceptions, Attitudes, and Treatment-Seeking Intentions Toward Congenital Heart Disease with Charitable Assistance: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Congenital Heart Center in Southern China.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the perceptions, attitudes and treatment-seeking intentions of Chinese parents toward charitable assistance for congenital heart disease (CHD).

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study, and different questionnaires were used. Data on Chinese parents' perceptions, attitudes, and treatment-seeking intentions toward charitable assistance for CHD were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 220 parents of children with CHD were included in the survey, and 201 completed the survey. The results showed that the perception rate of charity assistance for CHD was only 44.8%, and the channels of understanding were narrow. The majority of participants (98.0%) approved of charitable assistance. A total of 79.1% of the parents thought that charity assistance would improve their treatment-seeking intentions, and 62.7% of the parents answered that it would affect their medical institutions' choice. The results also showed that higher treatment-seeking intention was significantly correlated with higher income and charitable assistance but not with the parents' education level. Correlation analysis found that parents with different monthly incomes and charitable assistance had statistically significant treatment-seeking intentions. Analyzing the factors of surgical treatment in our hospital, it was found that charitable assistance was an essential factor influencing them to choose treatment.

CONCLUSION

Many Chinese parents of patients with CHD did not know about charity assistance, but most of them approved the project. Charitable assistance could improve parents' treatment-seeking intentions.