Background: Acute otitis media (AOM) is the most common pediatric bacterial ear infection, affecting up to 75% of children younger than 5 years. Despite the high incidence of AOM in children, the condition presents a number of challenges to parents. The objectives of this study were to describe parents’ experiences of taking care of a child with AOM and to identify their information needs to manage their child with AOM. Methods: A qualitative, descriptive design was used to gain insight into information needs of parents’ of children with AOM. Participants were recruited from a specialized pediatric emergency department in a major Canadian urban center (Edmonton, Alberta). Individual semi structured interviews were conducted with 16 parents. Results: Seven major themes were identified and described: (1) frequency of AOM, (2) symptoms of AOM experienced by children and parents, (3) AOM symptom management strategies used by parents, (4) parent’s beliefs about AOM, (5) parent’s satisfaction with treatment prescribed by physicians, (6) the effect of AOM on family’s quality of life, and (7) parent’s information needs about AOM. Findings indicate that AOM has considerable negative outcomes for both children and families and that parents would benefit from having more evidence-based resources. Conclusions: This study provides important information around parents’ experiences and information needs for pediatric AOM. Identifying parents’ information needs and developing innovative and communicatively responsive educational approaches for parents are warranted that reflect patient-centered nursing care.

Bronchiolitis, an acute lower respiratory tract infection, affects more than one-third of children less than age 2 years and is the most common cause for hospital admission in the first year of life. 1 Respiratory syncytial virus is the most common cause of bronchiolitis. The condition is characterized by inflammation and edema in the small airways, with increased mucus production. 2 Although most instances of bronchiolitis are self-limiting, severe complications, such as pneumonia and empyema, may occur. These complications can severely affect a child's health and may result in hospital admission. 3 In addition, parents suffer psychologically and emotionally through their child's illness and need support. 4,5 Parental anxiety and uncertainty are common during a child's illness, leading them to seek care from their physician or at the emergency department. 6 A wide variety of parental information is available, including written and online material. Parents are not always aware of this material, and if they are, the variability of clinical treatment for bronchiolitis can leave parents uncertain about whom or what sources of information they can trust. 3,6,7 It is therefore imperative to understand the information needs of parents in relation to bronchiolitis, where they look for this information and how they prefer this information to be provided. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore parents' experiences and information needs caring for a child with bronchiolitis. MethodsIn this exploratory study, we used qualitative descriptive approaches. 8 SettingParticipants were recruited from Oct. 1, 2017, to Mar. 15, 2018 by means of purposive sampling 9 from the Stollery Children's Hospital emergency department, a specialized pediatric emergency department in Edmonton. SampleParents were eligible if they presented to the emergency department seeking care for their child with bronchiolitis symptoms and were fluent in English. In the emergency department, clinical team members identified eligible participants via the emergency department information system and

No abstract

Background Engaging youth throughout the research process improves research quality and outcomes. Youth advisory groups provide one way for youth to express their opinions on relevant issues. Objective This study aimed to identify research‐ and health‐related youth advisory groups (‘groups’) in Canada and understand the best practices of these groups. Methods Google searches and supplementary methods were used to identify relevant groups in Canada. Group information was extracted from websites or through interviews with key informants. Results We identified 40 groups. Groups were commonly part of a hospital/healthcare facility, nonprofit/health organization or research group. The majority focused on a specific content area, most commonly, mental health. Over half the groups advised on health services. Members' ages ranged from 9 to 35 years. The number of members ranged from 5 to 130. Interviews (n = 12) identified seven categories relating to group practices: (a) group purpose/objectives, (b) group development, (c) group operations, (d) group structure, (e) adult involvement, (f) membership and recruitment and (g) group access. Challenges and facilitators to the success of groups were described within the following themes: (a) retaining engagement, (b) creating a safe environment and (c) putting youth in positions of influence. Advice and recommendations were provided regarding the development of a new group. Conclusion This study provides a comprehensive overview of research‐ and health‐related youth advisory groups in Canada. This information can be used to identify groups that stakeholders could access as well as inform the development of a new group. Patient or Public Contribution Youth advisory group representatives were interviewed as part of the study.

Pediatric functional constipation (FC) reportedly affects at least 1 in 10 children worldwide. Parent and family education is a key component for successful treatment, yet there is little research exploring what information families need and how to best support them. The aim of this review is to synthesize current evidence on the experiences and information needs of parents caring for a child with FC. We systematically searched published research and completed screening against a priori inclusion criteria. Thirteen studies (n = 10 quantitative, n = 3 qualitative) were included. We found 2 main themes, precarious footing and profound and pervasive effects. Heavy caregiving burdens fueled doubts, misinformation, relationship breakdown, and treatment deviation. In light of clinical recommendations, our findings reveal a potential mismatch between parents’ needs and care provision for FC. It is likely that both parents and health care providers would benefit from resources and interventions to improve care related to pediatric FC.