The effect of parental participation in the care of hospitalized children on parent satisfaction and parent and child anxiety: Randomized controlled trial

Background Child hospitalization is a stressful experience for both children and their parents. Parents should establish effective communication with healthcare professionals to be able to participate in the care of their children in the hospital environment. Aims and Objectives The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of parental participation in the care of hospitalized children on parent satisfaction and parent and child anxiety. Design The design used for this study was randomized controlled trial. Methods The study data were collected between 1 February and 31 May 2016. Frequency, percentage, paired t test, Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon were used to analyse the data. Results The study compared the parents' pretest and posttest scores on the anxiety and found that there was a statistically significant difference between the posttest scores of intervention and control groups. There was also a statistically significant difference parental participation and overall satisfaction subscales of the parent satisfaction as well as their total scores and mean scores. Comparison of the children's posttest scores on the anxiety inventory also found a statistically significant difference. Conclusion The study concluded that parental participation in the care of hospitalized children increases parent satisfaction with healthcare, and reduces anxiety of both parents and children.