title: Factors influencing parent decision making about pediatric cardiac transplantation.
abstract: The purpose of this prospective qualitative study was to investigate factors that influenced 15 parental decision-making situations regarding pediatric heart transplantation for children with end-stage heart disease. Twenty-four parents of 15 children, ranging in age from 1 day to 16 years, who had been given the heart transplantation option were inducted into the study as a convenience sample. All 24 parents were either interviewed (n = 18) or observed at some point during the decision-making process. Data collection strategies included participant observation and in-depth interviews. Data were coded into relevant themes and then clustered into categories; concurrent coding and analysis continued until new categories were no longer found. Predominant factors identified that influenced parental decision making were (a) psychological/emotional, (b) familial, and (c) social factors, and (d) physician endorsement of a treatment option. In 10 of the 15 situations, family beliefs and values were the main parental decision-making factors. Ten families chose transplantation for their child; 5 decided against the procedure. Pediatric nurses have central roles in facilitating parent-health professional communication in complex decision making concerning treatment alternatives of children.
authors.affiliation: University of San Francisco School of Nursing, Children's Hospital of Oakland, California, USA.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Higgins
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kayser-Jones
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010371:Pediatric Nursing; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D011446:Prospective Studies