“The challenge of managing insecurities”: Parents’ experiences with the care for their child with congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Purpose: Last decennia remarkable advances have been made in decreasing the mortality rate of children with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), resulting in a relatively growing patient group with long-term complications and complex care needs. These consequences have a huge impact on the quality of life of both children and their families. To provide practical recommendations for improving the quality of care for this patient group, the present study sought to obtain insights into the experiences and needs of parents with a child with CDH. Design and Methods: A qualitative study was conducted on the experiences and needs of parents with a child with CDH living in the Netherlands. Data was obtained by means of a discourse analyses of 17 weblogs written by parents and three online focus groups with 8–12 parents per group (n = 29). The data was analysed thematically and structured by using the model of Lawoko (2007) on parental satisfaction with care. Results: Although parents were generally satisfied with the delivered care, they frequently encountered challenges in managing insecurities throughout the care process. Besides the unpredictable disease progress, insecurities were exacerbated by: (a) limited specialized knowledge of long-term consequences, (b) logistical problems, and (c) nontransparent communication. Providing security through, for instance, a clear care plan and by engaging parents in the decision-making process helped them feel more in control. Practice Implications: This study showed that parents’ main challenge was to manage insecurities. Creating securities by providing a care plan and involving parents in the decision-making process helped parents to feel more in control. To improve quality of care for children with CDH, future measures should, therefore, focus on reducing insecurities by managing expectations, improving transparency and stimulating engagement.