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"It made all the difference": a qualitative study of parental experiences with pediatric obstructive sleep apnea detection

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Summary

This qualitative study examined the experiences of 30 parents of children aged 3-14 who were referred for a polysomnogram (PSG) to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The majority of referrals were initiated by parental concerns, and parents described both facilitators and barriers to completing the PSG. Parents reported a willingness to take any necessary steps to help their child and observed both nighttime and daytime symptoms related to OSA in their child. The study found a need for strategies to promote timely detection and to provide parents with accurate information about pediatric OSA.

Q&As

What are the parental experiences with pediatric obstructive sleep apnea detection?
Parents described how their child was referred for a polysomnogram (PSG), their perceptions and feelings throughout the detection process, and their willingness to take any necessary steps to help their child.

What pathways were used to detect OSA in children?
Parents reported multiple pathways to OSA detection, with more than half of referrals initiated by parental concerns (vs. screening efforts).

What symptoms of OSA were observed in children?
Parents observed both nighttime and daytime symptoms related to OSA in their child, such as snoring and difficulty staying awake during the day.

What strategies are needed to promote timely OSA detection?
Strategies are needed to provide parents with accurate information about pediatric OSA and to promote timely detection.

What sources of funding supported the study?
The study and Dr. Honaker’s time was funded, in part, with support from the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, funded in part by grant number UL1TR002529 from the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Clinical and Translational Sciences Award. Dr. Honaker’s time was also supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health under award number K23HL150299.

AI Comments

👍 This article provides an in-depth look at the parental experiences of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea detection and highlights ways to improve OSA detection.

👎 The study results are limited due to the small sample size and lack of diversity in participants.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about how parents experience the process of diagnosing their child's obstructive sleep apnea. The article discusses the pathways to OSA detection, the barriers and facilitators to completing a PSG, the parents' knowledge of OSA, and the implications for improving OSA detection.

Friend: That's really interesting. What are the implications for OSA detection that the article mentions?

Me: The article suggests that there is a need for strategies to promote timely detection and to provide parents with accurate information about pediatric OSA. It also suggests that there should be interventions and health communication strategies to improve OSA detection. Additionally, it highlights the importance of parental concerns as an indicator of the severity of OSA in children, and it emphasizes the need for research into the accuracy of clinical scoring tools for the diagnosis of pediatric OSA.

Action items

Research other studies on the topic of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea detection to gain a better understanding of the issue.
Reach out to local healthcare providers to learn more about the process of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea detection and what resources are available.
Develop strategies to promote timely detection and provide parents with accurate information about pediatric OSA.

Technical terms

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): A sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing or shallow breaths during sleep.
Polysomnogram (PSG): A test used to diagnose sleep disorders. It records brain waves, the oxygen level in your blood, heart rate and breathing, as well as eye and leg movements during sleep.
NVivo 12 software system: A qualitative data analysis software used to analyze interview data.
REDCap: Research Electronic Data Capture, a secure, web-based software platform designed to support data capture for research studies.
MedGen: A database of medical genetics information.
Grants and Funding: Financial support for research projects.