title: Paediatric nurses' perception of the child-family dyad's autonomy in managing a chronic disease situation: the experience of an Italian paediatric department.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronically ill patients have to take several medications and non-adherence to treatment can lead to severe and negative outcomes. Therefore, several interventions are suggested in literature to improve adherence rates in clinical practice. Adherence to treatment can be particularly troublesome in adolescents, who strive for autonomy and self-care independence. Literature suggests that improving adherence is useful to guarantee positive outcomes and reduce costs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore how nurses perceived autonomy in parents, adolescents, and children related to the management of chronic disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative study including 1 focus group and 7 semi-structured interviews conducted between September 2011 and October 2011. The qualitative date were analysed with the thematic analysis method. The sample included 12 paediatric nurses working in a Children's Cystic Fibrosis Unit and Neuromuscular Disease Unit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 5 main categories that emerged from this qualitative study after he process of categorization were: 'Changes in daily lifestyle', 'Nurses' attitude towards educating the dyad', 'Adolescence and transition', 'Parents' attitudes towards chronic disease', and 'Availability of information'.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Correct information and education is crucial for families who have a chronically ill child. Internet can be a misleading source of information and provide wrong information also in relation to prevention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Italy. annamaria.bagnasco@unige.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bagnasco
authors.affiliation: Gaslini Children's Hospital, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Petralia
authors.affiliation: Gaslini Children's Hospital, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Furnari
authors.affiliation: Gaslini Children's Hospital, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghio
authors.affiliation: Gaslini Children's Hospital, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Calza
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sasso
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000451:nursing*; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D010349:Patient Compliance