Needs and Expectations of Nurse-Led Digital Support Among Parents of Children in Child Health Care

Abstract

Introduction

Sweden has an extensive national child health care programme (CHCP) implying that all parents are offered support to raise their children and support them for healthy development. The programme is today built on personal physical contacts and digital components unusual. Although the digital world could be frightening and insecure, it also has benefits, because it is not dependent on face-to face meetings and is accessible more hours. In order to develop a digital channel to complement the CHPC, for the support of parents of children within child health care (CHC), parents' perspectives must be investigated. The aim of the study was therefore to describe parents' needs and expectations of digital support in the context of child health care.

Methods

The study had a qualitative approach using workshop discussions with parents as data. The interview data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.

Results

The main theme highlights that parents expected that a digital support channel would be something that might strengthen them towards independence concerning the care of their children, in a positive way. However, they also felt that they needed personal support and that relationships with other parents and the child health care nurse were significant and meaningful. Another parental desire that emerged was that a future digital channel would facilitate and simplify access to care and they suggested having both planned and urgent times available for parents to book. The digital channel was expected to make this possible and be a good complement to the physical contacts the traditional child health care currently offers.

Discussion/Conclusions

The parents in this study believed that digital solutions could increase their parental power in relation to the care of their children. Examples were given as digital nurse-led parent groups where parents with similar problems and experiences around their children could support each other and were expected to strengthen them over time. The parents stressed that a planned digital support channel also needs satisfactory solutions for both contact and response and have bookable digital meetings for both planned and urgent needs.