Assistant Professor University of Washington/Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle, Washington
Abstract: Illness perception (IP) refers to the beliefs that a patient (or surrogate) has about their illness. It can influence how individuals interpret information, approach communication, and make decisions. In this study, parents, nurses, and physicians completed the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ), a validated survey to assess IP, for 50 infants in a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). We assessed differences in IP between roles, correlation in IP between roles, and the impact of demographic factors on discrepancies.
Parents perceived their infant’s illness overall as significantly more severe than both physicians and nurses. However, compared to parents, physicians rated the effectiveness of treatment significantly lower, and both nurses and physicians perceived illness duration as significantly longer. Correlation analysis revealed a strong agreement in BIPQ scores between nurses and physicians but weak correlations between clinicians and parents.
Several demographic factors influenced IP differences. Nonwhite parents and more religious/spiritual parents had larger IP discrepancies. Conversely, parents with higher education or prenatal awareness of a NICU stay had smaller perception differences.
These findings highlight disparities in IP between parents and clinicians, with demographic factors further influencing perspective differences. Differences in alignment of BIPQ scores by demographics suggest potential disparities in communication and information processing, emphasizing the need for improved strategies to align perceptions. Addressing these discrepancies could enhance parent-provider relationships, improve shared decision-making, and foster better support for families. This study provides a foundation for future research to bridge perception gaps in pediatric care.
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