Title

Effects of Multimodal Fever Education on Parents of Febrile Children

Primary Submission Contact

Teresa S. Parkhouse

Faculty Sponsor

Christina Cavinder

Faculty Sponsor Email Address

christina.cavinder@valpo.edu

College

Nursing

Department/Program

CONHP/DNP

Document Type

Poster Presentation

Date

Spring 4-30-2015

Abstract

Insufficient knowledge regarding physiology and appropriate management of fever in children often contributes to increased parental anxiety, inappropriate antipyretic use, and overutilization of medical resources. Parental concerns regarding childhood fever can lead to an overuse of health care resources as febrile illness in children accounts for approximately 20% of emergency department visits, 30% of office visits, and over 50% of after-hour phone calls to private physicians (Zomorrodi & Attia, 2008). The purpose of this project was to provide multimodal fever education to parents of febrile children and examine the effects on parental knowledge, self-efficacy, anxiety, satisfaction, and health service utilization. The intervention consisted of a three-minute educational video and a pamphlet on childhood fever including appropriate management and the control group consisted of a brief verbal discussion of fever and appropriate caregiver management. Data were collected and analyzed comparing outcome measurements from both groups. There was a statistically significant difference in intervention participants' knowledge regarding harmful effects of fever (p = 0.020) and satisfaction of the education provided (p = 0.023). Additional studies evaluating effectiveness of multimodal fever education are necessary for further identification of the best methods to impact outcomes.

Keywords: pediatric, fever, parental knowledge, mulimodal education, fever phobia

Biographical Information about Author(s)

Ms. Parkhouse graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Purdue University, West Lafayette campus in 2006. Teresa has worked in a variety of areas including cardiac, medical/surgical, renal metabolic, medical ICU and the emergency department (ED). Ms. Parkhouse first realized her interest in parental fever education during her clinical experiences and through numerous interactions with parents while working in the ED. Upon earning her DNP degree, Teresa plans to work in family practice.

Additional Presentation Information

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