13 February 2003
Leading nursing research journal launches discussion on "ownership" and communication in paediatric care

Researchers from four countries have been exploring whether communication between health professionals and parents affects the delivery of paediatric health care.

The discussion paper, published in Journal of Advanced Nursing (Who owns the child in hospital? A preliminary discussion, volume 41.3), explores existing literature and analyses issues raised by the concept of ownership.

The paper also highlights a cross-cultural research project now underway in Australia, Sweden, Iceland and the United Kingdom.

Focus groups are being held with hospital staff and parents to examine ideas about who "owns" the hospitalised child and a multidisciplinary colloquium is planned for the future.

"The paper questions whether health professionals understand how their perceptions of who owns the patient affect the way they communicate with both patients and, in paediatric settings, parents" explains lead author Linda Shields (Australia).

"If nurses were aware of potential conflicts caused by notions of ownership of the patient, then their role as communication broker could be made easier" adds Linda, whose co-authors are Inger Kristensson-Hallström (Sweden), Gudrun Kristjánsdóttir (Iceland) and Judith Hunter (United Kingdom).

"Analysing the data from the cross-cultural research will allow more detailed investigation to be designed and appropriate further research methods determined. We expect that both quantitative and qualitative methods will be necessary to cover all aspects of this complex question."

The authors would welcome comments from colleagues on the issues raised in the discussion paper and these can be sent via Journal of Advanced Nursing. Please mark e-mails "Who owns the child - feedback" and send them to: jan@oxon.blackwellpublishing.com

About the authors

• Linda Shields is a public health research fellow at the Mater Children's Hospital in Queensland and visiting lecturer in Australia, Sweden and the UK.
• Inger Kristensson-Hallström is Associate Professor at the Department of Nursing and at The Vardal Institute, Lund University, Sweden.
• Gudrun Kristjánsdóttir is Professor of Paediatric Nursing at the Faculty of Nursing, University of Iceland, and Director of research and clinical development at the University Children's Hospital.
• Judith Hunter is Clinical Director of Trauma, Orthopaedics and A&E at City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust.