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Biomedical subjects

E C Perrin

Publications and source records attributed to E C Perrin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Parent advisory groups in pediatric practices: parents' and professionals' perceptions.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the benefits perceived by parents and professionals from their participation in parent advisory groups (PAGs). DESIGN: Retrospective telephone survey. SETTING: Parent advisory groups were established in 4 community-based pediatric practices. Each group included parents of children with chronic health conditions, health care providers, and a Department of Public Health staff member. PARTICIPANTS: The mothers and fathers of children with chronic health conditions completed a telephone survey. These parents also were enrolled in a broader intervention aimed at providing primary care for children with chronic conditions. INTERVENTION: Groups met regularly in the pediatric office setting. Logistical arrangements and activities varied among the 4 groups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Parents and professionals rated their perceptions of the PAGs based on a structured list of potential benefits. RESULTS: Mothers viewed the PAGs as most beneficial in diminishing their isolation, helping them to understand family concerns, increasing their influence on the pediatric care provided to their children, and improving their knowledge of community resources. Professionals believed that the PAGs enhanced their awareness of common family needs, increased their skills at collaborating with families, and helped them to feel more effective. All professionals and most parents were interested in continuing their involvement in a PAG. CONCLUSIONS: Parent advisory groups may benefit families and professionals who care for them by (1) fostering collaborative relationships and communication, (2) increasing a sense of social support among families, (3) increasing families' knowledge of community-based resources, and (4) increasing the families' sense of efficacy and involvement in the care of their own and others' children.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Shared vision: concordance among fathers, mothers, and pediatricians about unmet needs of children with chronic health conditions.

OBJECTIVE: These analyses were undertaken to investigate the number and types of services and assistance believed to be useful to children with a chronic health condition and their families. The perspective of mothers, fathers, and primary care physicians were sought separately and compared. METHODS: Families that include at least 1 child with a chronic health condition were selected from pediatric practices in Central Massachusetts. All 3 respondents completed a questionnaire describing their own perspective of current needs and of the severity of the child's condition. The 3 perspectives are compared statistically and areas of agreement/disagreement are described. RESULTS: Mothers, fathers, and physicians described children's and families' needs with a surprising degree of concordance. On the other hand, pediatricians identified fewer needs, despite rating the severity of children's illnesses as greater than did parents. Mothers and fathers agreed substantially about the level of severity of their child's condition and about their unmet needs. CONCLUSIONS: It is important that pediatric practice systems include effective mechanisms to assess parents' opinions regarding the unmet needs of their child/family in the face of a child with a chronic health condition. Without input from families, pediatricians are aware of only some of the needs that parents identify.

Child↗
PubMed1999

Commentary: collaboration in pediatric primary care: a pediatrician's view.

Although neither pediatricians nor psychologists can provide alone for the vast needs of children and families in our increasingly complex society, these needs can be met through effective collaboration. An ideal model for collaboration would exist if pediatricians and psychologists worked together in practice teams, for which developmental-behavioral pediatricians might serve as consultants. Together, these professionals could take responsibility for professional education, expanded clinical care, liaisons with schools and other community-based resources for children and families, and research that addressed questions about the development, coping, and correction of children's and families' difficulties.

Child↗
PubMed1998

Health and development of gay and lesbian youths: implications for HIV/AIDS.

Health and behavioral issues of gay and lesbian adolescents have recently become a focus of research and interest. A well conceived framework within which to consider thoughtfully the uniqueness of problems faced by homosexual youths and the role of health-care providers is needed. The prevalence, sociocultural history, and theories of origin of the homosexual orientation (biologic, psychoanalytic, and social processes) as well as general issues in adolescent development (biologic, cognitive, and emotional) all contribute to the development of a comprehensive perspective through which better health care and education can be provided. Responsible sexual behavior, depression, and suicide are health-care issues that physicians must be sensitive to and address openly. Up to 50% of gay youths have "seriously contemplated," suicide and 25% are estimated to have attempted suicide, according to the literature. In one study, up to 38% of pediatricians were uncomfortable in caring for homosexual adolescents within their practice. Practical suggestions include reviewing the language in office information forms and brochures providing appropriate literature that demonstrates acceptance of homosexual and bisexual orientations, and avoiding heterosexist bias in questions inquiring about sexuality. Physicians have an opportunity to modify the health and psychosocial risks faced by gay and lesbian youths by restructuring professional settings and accepting broader responsibilities for raising community awareness.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Pediatric care for children whose parents are gay or lesbian.

BACKGROUND: A growing number of children have at least one parent who is gay or lesbian. There is no evidence that these children experience any particular difficulties as a result of their parents' sexual orientation. Considerable evidence suggests that the provision of health care may not address the special needs and concerns of gay men and lesbians adequately. No research has been done regarding the pediatric care of children whose parents are gay or lesbian. It is likely that there are predictable challenges and development transitions for these children and parents for which pediatricians and other health care providers might be helpful advisers. OBJECTIVE: This exploratory project sought to describe the experiences that lesbian and gay parents and their children have had with the pediatric health care system. We were interested in describing experiences that had been especially affirming and others that had been troublesome and in gathering suggestions regarding changes in the structure and process of care. METHODOLOGY: Two hundred fifty-five parents completed an open-ended questionnaire. Responses were coded and tabulated. RESULTS: Most parents described considerable success in obtaining pediatric care that was affirming, supportive, and satisfactory. On the other hand, many parents noted deficiencies in pediatric offices, clinics, emergency departments, and hospitals, many of which could be corrected easily. CONCLUSIONS: We have summarized the accumulated advice to pediatric health care providers and have described some of the developmental transitions that are potentially appropriate opportunities for pediatric intervention.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

A randomized, controlled trial of a school-based, multi-faceted AIDS education program in the elementary grades: the impact on comprehension, knowledge and fears.

OBJECTIVE: Several educational theorists have suggested that young children are unlikely to benefit from detailed instruction regarding AIDS prevention because of inherent developmental cognitive limitations. This study aims to determine whether AIDS education in the elementary grades can advance young children's understanding of this illness. METHODS: A randomized, controlled trial was used to measure the impact of a 3-week, multifaceted AIDS education program on conceptual understanding, factual knowledge, and fears about AIDS in 189 students in grades kindergarten through 6th. The ASK (AIDS Survey for Kids), a standardized, semistructured interview that measures conceptual understanding, factual information, and fears about AIDS, was administered before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Children in the intervention group, as compared to those in the control group, showed significant (P < .0001) gains in their level of understanding of the concepts of causality and prevention of AIDS. These results were unaffected by controlling for grade, gender, race, socioeconomic status, and verbal fluency. The gains in children's understanding of causality of AIDS represented at least 2 years' growth in the level of conceptual sophistication and persisted at a follow-up evaluation several months later. After the intervention, more children (P < .001) in the intervention group than in the control group accurately identified causes of AIDS in response to open-ended questions: germ/germ theory (41% vs 13%), mother-to-infant transmission (54% vs 15%), blood transmission (83% vs 40%), and sexual transmission (56% vs 30%). Fewer than half as many children in the intervention group responded incorrectly to each of five direct questions about transmission of HIV through casual contact. The intervention did not increase children's fears about the illness. CONCLUSIONS: A short, developmentally based, multifaceted AIDS education program in the elementary grades can advance children's conceptual understanding and factual knowledge about AIDS and decrease their misconceptions about casual contact as a means of acquiring the illness, without increasing their fears. Significant advances in conceptual understanding about AIDS can be achieved through direct educational interventions.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗