Challenges of decision making for families of children with single or multiple chronic conditions.

Understanding the family and their previous experience is crucial to determine how nurse practitioners can best tailor interventions to promote effective decision making.

Abstract

When a child is diagnosed with a chronic illness, families begin a constant cycle of decision making. Many of these decisions surround health care treatment. These families can be divided into two groups: those with children newly diagnosed with a chronic condition and those with children who have a preexisting illness. If a new diagnosis represents a family's entrance into the medical community, the decision-making process can be confusing and difficult. For the family of a child with a preexisting condition, making repeated decisions about treatments can be additionally stressful and anxiety provoking because of their medical history. How do families with a child with a preexisting medical condition differ in their decision making? What factors affect their decisions? The nurse practitioner has a critical role interacting with both types of families and guiding the decision-making process. Therefore, understanding the family and their previous experience is crucial to determine how nurse practitioners can best tailor interventions to promote effective decision making.