Parental involvement in pediatric cardiology outpatient visits.
There is a lack of information regarding parental involvement in subspecialty care of their offspring. We evaluated trends in 3,118 parental visits, accompanied by their children to a pediatric cardiology office during a 5-year period. Offspring accompanied both parents 29%, mothers alone 64%, and fathers alone 5% of the total visits. The rates were similar for first-time visits and this trend was similar across all 5 years. Children were significantly younger when accompanied by both parents than by individual parents. Mothers play a major role in a child's subspecialty care. Our findings have important educational, social, research, and marketing implications.
Mehta
Sudhir Ken
SK
Department of Pediatrics and Cardiovascular Center, Fairview Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Health System and Case Western Reserve University, Ohio 44111-5656, USA.
Richards
Nancy
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D002309:Cardiology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005220:Fathers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009035:Mothers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D010290:Parents; D014481:United States