Health information: sourcing patterns and quality improvement prior to surgery

Abstract

Background: Our aim was to describe whether parents with a child undergoing an Otolaryngology procedure felt they had received trustworthy and understandable information from their doctor, whether they sought extra information from alternative sources, what information they valued and how to improve the quality of information we provide. Methods: A questionnaire was given to parents of children having an operation at a tertiary children's hospital. We collected data on their pre-operative consultation, supplementary information sought, information they would have liked to receive and how. Results: Over a 14-month period, 172 questionnaires were returned. The majority (94%) of respondents were satisfied with the pre-operative information they received. Seventy-three percent admitted to independently researching the internet and other sources. Verbal (91.8%) and printed information (48.4%) was preferred over online modalities. Conclusions: The internet is the most frequently accessed source of health information used by parents, however most trust their doctor more.