{"title":"Service users' and parents/carers' experiences of a paediatric chronic fatigue service: A service evaluation.","authors":"Gemma Hartley, Jack Purrington","doi":"10.1177/17423953231178185","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This service evaluation explored the experiences of families receiving care in a paediatric chronic fatigue service. The evaluation aimed to improve service provision across paediatric chronic fatigue services more widely.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Children and young people aged 7-18 years (<i>n</i> = 25) and parents/carers (<i>n</i> = 25) completed a postal survey exploring experiences of a paediatric chronic fatigue service. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively, and qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Most service usersand parents/carers (88%) agreed that the service met their needs, that they felt supported by staff, and most notably, a large portion (74%) reported the team increased their activity levels. A small number disagreed (7%) with statements relating to positive links with other services, ease of talking to staff and suitability of appointment type. The thematic analysis revealed three themes: help managing chronic fatigue syndrome, experience of professional support and accessibility of service. Families reported benefiting from increased understanding of chronic fatigue syndrome, learning new strategies, the team linking with schools, feeling validated and mental health support. Accessibility was a particular problem including the service location, setup of appointments and difficulty contacting the team.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The evaluation presents recommendations for paediatric Chronic Fatigue services to improve service user experiences.</p>","PeriodicalId":48530,"journal":{"name":"Chronic Illness","volume":" ","pages":"320-334"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8000,"publicationDate":"2024-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Chronic Illness","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17423953231178185","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2023/5/25 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"HEALTH CARE SCIENCES & SERVICES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objectives: This service evaluation explored the experiences of families receiving care in a paediatric chronic fatigue service. The evaluation aimed to improve service provision across paediatric chronic fatigue services more widely.
Methods: Children and young people aged 7-18 years (n = 25) and parents/carers (n = 25) completed a postal survey exploring experiences of a paediatric chronic fatigue service. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively, and qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis.
Results: Most service usersand parents/carers (88%) agreed that the service met their needs, that they felt supported by staff, and most notably, a large portion (74%) reported the team increased their activity levels. A small number disagreed (7%) with statements relating to positive links with other services, ease of talking to staff and suitability of appointment type. The thematic analysis revealed three themes: help managing chronic fatigue syndrome, experience of professional support and accessibility of service. Families reported benefiting from increased understanding of chronic fatigue syndrome, learning new strategies, the team linking with schools, feeling validated and mental health support. Accessibility was a particular problem including the service location, setup of appointments and difficulty contacting the team.
Discussion: The evaluation presents recommendations for paediatric Chronic Fatigue services to improve service user experiences.
期刊介绍:
Chronic illnesses are prolonged, do not resolve spontaneously, and are rarely completely cured. The most common are cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, coronary artery disease, stroke and heart failure), the arthritides, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and epilepsy. There is increasing evidence that mental illnesses such as depression are best understood as chronic health problems. HIV/AIDS has become a chronic condition in those countries where effective medication is available.