Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Sep 23, 2024
Date Accepted: Apr 2, 2025
Parents’ motivations for calling an out-of-hour-helpline: a qualitative study.
ABSTRACT
Background:
Young children often get sick, and although they usually do not need treatment, it can be distressing for parents and lead to a high rate of urgent healthcare use. As the demand for out-of-hours services grows, understanding parents' concerns and needs when caring for an ill child is crucial to design interventions that support informed health-seeking decisions.
Objective:
To investigate why parents contacted a Medical Helpline, their expectations regarding the call, and how their situation changed following the telephone triage.
Methods:
Parents who contacted an out-of-hours Medical Helpline in Denmark participated in semi-structured interviews that were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's six-step approach to thematic analysis.
Results:
Thirty-nine interviews were conducted. Our analysis led to three key themes: 1) Parental uncertainty in decision-making: Caring for an ill child was associated with stress and uncertainty. Parents did not have the tools to differentiate between acceptable symptoms and indicators of severe illness, resulting in catastrophic consequences thinking. 2) Validation: Parents contacted the medical helpline to validate their assessment and share the responsibility with a healthcare professional. They experienced a conflict between responsible healthcare utilization and the need for reassurance. 3) Feeling safe at home: When the healthcare professional appeared competent, recognized parents’ emotions, and dedicated time to explain the symptoms, parents felt empowered to manage their child at home through the telephone consultation.
Conclusions:
Uncertainty in assessing a sick child's symptoms can prompt parents to seek reassurance and validation by contacting a medical helpline. Telephone consultations often enable parents to manage their children at home. Interventions that assist parents in distinguishing between mild and severe symptoms and accept frequent illnesses as a normal part of childhood could help reduce stress and reliance on healthcare services.
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