title: Perspectives toward oral mucositis prevention from parents and health care professionals in pediatric cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objectives of this study were: (1) to describe parents and health care professionals (HCPs) perceived importance of oral mucositis prevention in children with cancer; (2) To describe utilities and willingness-to-pay (WTP) to prevent mucositis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Respondents included parents of children receiving intensive chemotherapy for leukemia/lymphoma or undergoing stem cell transplantation and HCPs caring for children with cancer. Importance of mild and severe oral mucositis was estimated using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Mucositis-associated utilities were elicited using the time trade-off technique (TTO). WTP to avoid mucositis was obtained using contingent valuation. These techniques quantify how much time or money the participant is willing to relinquish in order to prevent mucositis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-two parents and 60 HCPs were included. Parents and HCPs believed mild mucositis to be of similar importance (median VAS 2.5 versus 3.6; P = 0.357) while parents considered severe mucositis less important than HCPs (median VAS 8.3 versus 9.0; P < 0.0001). No differences in parent versus HCP responses were seen with TTO (mild or severe mucositis) and most parents were not willing to trade any survival time to prevent severe mucositis. Parents were willing to pay significantly more than HCPs to prevent mild mucositis (average median WTP $1,371 CAN vs. $684 CAN, P = 0.031). No differences were seen in WTP to prevent severe mucositis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parents and HCP believe severe mucositis to be important, although it is more important to HCPs. Parents would not be willing to reduce life expectancy to eliminate mucositis.
authors.affiliation: Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Marie-Chantal
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ethier
authors.forename: Dean A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Regier
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tomlinson
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Judd
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gassas
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Naqvi
authors.forename: Lillian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents