None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Fever is considered to be one of the most frequent complaints in children’s diseases, and is mostly reported to Emergency Department and healthcare centers. Approximately 20 percent of children’s cases reported to Emergency Department are related to a febrile illness. Many education programs have been designed to improve patient fever health information; however, no education program or material was found relating to fever management for parents with low health literacy. This study will present for the first time, a unique fever management program for parents with low health literacy. The aim of this study is to examine fever presentations in the emergency department and test a low health literacy education intervention to reduce inappropriate primary care attendance. To achieve this aim education interventions such as a DVD and Brochure have been developed from a comprehensive literature review, systematic reviews, and existing guidelines. These tools are designed to be appropriate for low health literacy parents and use symbols and pictures where possible to deliver the information. This study is being conducted in Campbelltown Hospital, Emergency Department (ED). Quantitative research design will be the cornerstone for this project. The study will be carried out in two phases. Phase one will include secondary data analysis of ED presentations for children with fever using FIRSTNET data. The second phase will use a randomised control trial, where the investigator will deliver a low health literacy education program. This design will provide the opportunity to examine the effectiveness of an education program on parents’ knowledge, practice and health service use. Prepost survey data will be collected from the intervention and control groups, including knowledge and practices relating to fever management. Study data will be analysed using descriptive and multivariate analysis techniques. It is envisaged that this program will potentially improve parent’s knowledge and reduce occasions where parents inappropriately attend ED for fever in children. This anticipated improvement may in turn save healthcare professionals time and effort, increase their productivity, and decrease staff and parents frustration
Interventions
Intervention group one: This group will involve parents with low health literacy who will receive a fever education package designed for low health literacy people. The education package includes an eight minute DVD and brochure; both the DVD and the brochure will contain information about pharmacological and non-pharmacological fever treatments, the correct way of measuring a child’s body temperature, and general knowledge about fever.
Intervention group two: this group will involve parents wi
Intervention group one: This group will involve parents with low health literacy who will receive a fever education package designed for low health literacy people. The education package includes an eight minute DVD and brochure; both the DVD and the brochure will contain information about pharmacological and non-pharmacological fever treatments, the correct way of measuring a child’s body temperature, and general knowledge about fever. Intervention group two: this group will involve parents with functional health literacy who will also receive the same fever education package received by the first group.
Sponsors
Centre for Applied Nursing Research. South Western Sydney Local Health District/ University of Western Sydney
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Factorial
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Blinded (masking used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
1. Parents of Children with a history of fever before presentation to ED or with a temperature of greater than 37 degrees 2. Parents of Children aged between three months to five years 3. Parents who are able to read, write and understand English
Exclusion criteria
1. Parents of children younger than three months, older than five years. 2. Any child located in the Resuscitation area 3. Parents who cannot speak, read and write in English
Outcome results
None listed