Parents' information prior to their child's admission for tonsillectomy

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate what information Maltese parents have to prepare their children undergoing tonsillectomy. It was also meant to obtain some idea of how much of this information was being transferred to the child. The method of data collection was a semi structured interview which was carried out with each of the 40 parents in the sample, held at the E.N.T. department. The results of the study suggested that Maltese parents were aware of most of the general information regarding hospitalization for tonsillectomy. The actual ways in which parents prepare their child and what information they tell him are still decisions parents take apparently on their own intuition. The need for more information was acknowledged by most of the parents. Respondents were mostly in favour of having more talks with doctors as a source of information.