Australian parent's reasons for attending a GP when their child has upper respiratory tract symptoms: An exploratory study

Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in children are a frequent presentation in Australian general practice. However, there is limited Australian evidence about why parents decide to consult a doctor for childhood URTIs. Our objective was to design a qualitative pilot study aiming to explore this issue using semi-structured interviews. Interviews were conducted with nine parents. We found that cough, fever and abnormal behaviour of the child prompted a consultation with the general practitioner (GP). Parents sought an examination of their child (in particular "hidden areas" such as ears and throat) and reassurance, rather than antibiotics. They also wanted the GP to suggest practical ways to help alleviate their child's symptoms. The results provide a greater understanding of the fears, concerns and beliefs of parents of children with URTIs and hence may improve the GP-parent consultation. Health providers may be encouraged to address the specific parental concerns emerging from this study.