Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Postbox 8900, 7491, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, St. Olavs University Hospital, Postbox 3250, 7006, Trondheim, Norway.
General Practice Research Unit, Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Postbox 8905, 7491, Trondheim, Norway.
Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2024 Jun;181:111941. doi: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2024.111941. Epub 2024 Apr 9.
Surgery with ventilation tubes (VT) in children suffering from otitis media with effusion is quite common. However, the knowledge surrounding parents' expectations to the treatment and postoperative care is sparse. The aim of this study was to describe the parents' expectations to VT surgery and postoperative care shortly after surgery.
A qualitative study was conducted based on semi-structured individual interviews with parents recruited from a study where postoperative care was randomized to either an otolaryngologist or the patient's general practitioner (GP). The interviews were conducted within the first weeks after surgery and analyzed by reflexive thematic analysis.
In total, 13 parents aged 29-42 years participated in the study. We identified three main themes elucidating parents' expectations to VT surgery and postoperative care: 1) Preconceptions about VT surgery and hearing - most parents expected surgery to restore the child's normal hearing, and some were uncertain about their knowledge of normal hearing and VT treatment; 2) A safety net to ensure hearing and function - it was reassuring if the child received structured postoperative care that secured and notified appointments and had quick access to a specialist if needed; 3) High-quality care - most parents expected the otolaryngologist to provide the highest level of quality of care due to their specialist competence, special equipment and sufficient understanding of the problem to communicate well with parents. Postoperative care by the GP was perceived as incomplete among most parents due to a lack of both specialist competence and access to audiometry.
Parents expect postoperative care to safeguard their child as long as needed after VT surgery, and they expect access to high-quality care. Low health literacy among some parents challenges the current method of postoperative care and requires that more emphasis be set on both informing and educating parents regarding hearing and VT treatment.
患有分泌性中耳炎的儿童进行带通气管（VT）的手术较为常见。然而，对于父母对治疗和术后护理的期望的了解却很少。本研究旨在描述父母对 VT 手术后短期治疗和术后护理的期望。
这是一项基于半结构式个体访谈的定性研究，参与者是从一项术后护理随机分配给耳鼻喉科医生或患者的全科医生的研究中招募的父母。访谈在手术后的第一周内进行，并进行反思性主题分析。
共有 13 名年龄在 29-42 岁的父母参与了研究。我们确定了三个主要主题，阐明了父母对 VT 手术和术后护理的期望：1）对 VT 手术和听力的先入之见-大多数父母期望手术能恢复孩子的正常听力，有些父母对正常听力和 VT 治疗的知识不确定；2）确保听力和功能的安全网-如果孩子接受了有组织的术后护理，保证了预约并在需要时可以快速联系到专科医生，这会让人感到安心；3）高质量的护理-大多数父母期望耳鼻喉科医生能够提供最高水平的护理质量，因为他们具有专业能力、特殊设备以及充分了解问题与父母进行良好沟通的能力。大多数父母认为全科医生的术后护理不完整，因为他们缺乏专科能力和听力测试的机会。
父母期望在 VT 手术后的需要时，能为孩子提供术后护理，并期望获得高质量的护理。一些父母的健康素养较低，这对当前的术后护理方法提出了挑战，需要更加注重向父母告知和教育听力和 VT 治疗的相关知识。
