A qualitative study exploring the experiences of parents of children admitted to seven Dutch pediatric intensive care units.

Purpose: To explore parents' experiences during the admission of their children to a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Method: Qualitative method using in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was applied to capture parents' experiences.

Differences in the perceptions of parents and healthcare professionals on pediatric intensive care practices.

Objective: To explore similarities and differences in perceptions on pediatric intensive care practices between parents and staff by using data from two studies.

Design: A two-round Delphi method among nurses and physicians followed by an empiric survey among parents.

Settings: Pediatric intensive care units at eight university medical centers.

Construction and psychometric testing of the EMPATHIC questionnaire measuring parent satisfaction in the pediatric intensive care unit.

Purpose: To construct and test the reliability and validity of the EMpowerment of PArents in THe Intensive Care (EMPATHIC) questionnaire measuring parent satisfaction in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Methods: Structured development and psychometric testing of a parent satisfaction-with-care instrument with the results of two cohorts of parents (n = 2,046) from eight PICUs in the Netherlands.

Results: In the first cohort, 667/1,055 (63%) parents participated followed by 551/991 (56%) parents in the second cohort.

Perceptions of parents on satisfaction with care in the pediatric intensive care unit: the EMPATHIC study.

Purpose: To identify parental perceptions on pediatric intensive care-related satisfaction items within the framework of developing a Dutch pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) satisfaction instrument.

Methods: Prospective cohort study in tertiary PICUs at seven university medical centers in The Netherlands.

Participants: Parents of 1,042 children discharged from a PICU.