Barriers and facilitators to implementing a process to enable parent escalation of care for the deteriorating child in hospital (2 July 2018)

Summary

This study in Health Expectations aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to implementing a parent escalation of care process: Calling for Help (C4H). Guided by the Theoretical Domains Framework, the authors carried out audits, semi-structured interviews and focus groups in an Australian paediatric hospital where a parent escalation of care process was introduced in the previous six months.

The authors found that although there was a low level of awareness about C4H in practice, there was in-principle support for the concept. Initial strategies had primarily targeted policy change without taking into account the need for practice and organisational behaviour changes.