Parent and Clinician Perspectives on Diagnostic Testing for Children With Diarrhea

What are the expectations of parents and clinicians when managing pediatric diarrhea?In this qualitative study of 44 parents and 16 clinicians, parents identified 3 motivators for seeking clinical care for a child with diarrhea: reassurance, understanding the cause of symptoms, and appropriate treatment. Clinicians expressed skepticism for the value of diagnostics in informing etiology or treatment but reported they may order diagnostic testing to reassure parents.The findings suggest strategies are needed to resolve tension between clinicians and parents in care expectations, facilitate diagnostic stewardship, and optimize care of children with diarrhea.

Corresponding Author: Anna Jones, MD, MPH, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, 295 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108 (anna.jones@hsc.utah.edu).

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