Parental satisfaction with osteopathic treatment of their children: a qualitative study.
Item
- Title
- Parental satisfaction with osteopathic treatment of their children: a qualitative study.
- Author(s)
- Watson, S
- Abstract
- Background: Patient satisfaction is measured across healthcare and is important for providing patient-centered care, a requirement for osteopaths. No previous studies investigate parental satisfaction with osteopathic care of children, which is important since parents can influence treatment outcomes. Objective: To investigate the expectations, satisfaction and dissatisfaction of parents who bring their children for osteopathic treatment to the European School of Osteopathy (ESO), in order to inform future practice at the teaching clinic. Design: Qualitative design with elements of grounded theory. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were recorded, transcribed and coded. Codes were grouped into larger categories. Triangulation and member-checking took place. Themes were refined to produce a final thematic framework. Results: 9 participants were interviewed. 6 high level themes emerged with 24 sub-themes. Items influencing satisfaction included client-practitioner encounter, communication, environment, the nature of a teaching clinic, the participants’ relationship to osteopathy and expectations. Discussion: Accessibility, value for money, helpful administrative staff, high standard of premises and long appointment times were satisfaction items in this study as well as other studies. In a teaching environment, practitioner consistency, varied practitioner skill, the benefits of tutor supervision and low cost affect satisfaction both in the current and existing studies. Ultimately, trust, practitioner empathy and continuity, communication (with reciprocity and shared decision making) can improve patient satisfaction, compliance and treatment outcomes; and can reduce the likelihood of complaints being made against practitioners.Conclusion: ESO tutors could be informed of the results of the current and other satisfaction studies to allow the encouragement of students to improve certain skills that increase parent/patient satisfaction. Better signposting at the ESO and a children’s clinic that is open simultaneously to general clinic may resolve factors that influenced satisfaction with the environment. The development of interpersonal and communication skills should be encouraged from under-graduates, qualified osteopaths and other healthcare professionals, perhaps with additional courses. Other ways to improve parent/patient satisfaction include ensuring continuity of care, encouraging shared decision making, thorough patient evaluation, increased use of satisfaction assessment tools and discussion of parental/patient goals.
- presented at
- European School of Osteopathy
- Date Accepted
- 2018
- Date Submitted
- 25.1.2019 17:18:26
- Type
- osteo_thesis
- Language
- English
- Submitted by:
- 62
- Pub-Identifier
- 16413
- Inst-Identifier
- 1229
- Keywords
- Parental satisfaction
- Recommended
- 0
- Item sets
- Thesis
Watson, S, “Parental satisfaction with osteopathic treatment of their children: a qualitative study.”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.osteopathicresearch.com/s/orw/item/351