Table 1.
Characteristics of Parents and Infants
| Characteristic | N (%) |
|---|---|
| Parents, n=20 1 | |
| Gender | |
| Female | 17 (85%) |
| Male | 3 (15%) |
| Age, median (IQR) | 28.5 (24–34) |
| Number of Children, median (IQR) | 2 (1–3) |
| Race/Ethnicity | |
| White | 10 (50%) |
| Black | 3 (15%) |
| Hispanic | 4 (20%) |
| Asian | 1 (5%) |
| >1 Race/Ethnicity2 | 2 (10%) |
| Highest Education Degree Obtained | |
| GED | 2 (10%) |
| High School3 | 8 (40%) |
| College | 4 (20%) |
| Graduate | 5 (25%) |
| No degree | 1 (5%) |
| Limited Health Literacy4 | 7 (35%) |
| Preferences for Making Healthcare Decisions for the Infant | |
| Prefer to Make Final Testing/Treatment Decision | 2 (10%) |
| Prefer to Make Final Testing/Treatment Decision After Seriously Considering Doctor’s Opinion | 11 (55%) |
| Prefer to Share Responsibility with the Doctor for Testing/Treatment Decision | 5 (25%) |
| Prefer that Doctor Makes Final Testing/Treatment Decision After Seriously Considering My Opinion | 1 (5%) |
| Prefer to Leave All Testing and Treatment Decisions to the Doctor | 1 (5%) |
| Infants, n=20 | |
| Age Group | |
| ≤28 days | 6 (30%) |
| 29–60 days | 14 (70%) |
| Underwent Lumbar Puncture | 13 (65%) |
| Hospitalized on Initial ED visit | 15 (75%) |
| Serious Bacterial Infection3 | 3 (15%) |
1
Three interviews included input from both parents; characteristics provided for the parent who predominantly participated in the interview
2
One parent identified as “Mixed Race” and 1 parent identified as Hispanic and White
3
One parent completed high school and was currently completing college
4
Defined as answering “somewhat,” “a little bit,” or “not at all” to the question, “how confident are you in completing medical forms by yourself?”
5
Three infants had a urinary tract infection; no infants had bacteremia or bacterial meningitis
Abbreviations: ED, emergency department; GED, General Education Diploma; IQR, interquartile range