Parental responses to health care services for children with chronic conditions and their families: a comparison between Hong Kong and Scotland

Families caring for a chronically-ill child are known to experience a significant degree of stress that often is not fully understood by health professionals. The purpose of this study was to examine, cross culturally, the experience of families caring for children with chronic conditions both in terms of the impact on their lives and the nature of the support received. The responsibility of caring for a child with a chronic condition had considerable impact on family life in both groups, with the disturbance to harmony possibly being felt more keenly in the Hong Kong group. Effective communication with parents was seen in both countries as key for effective practice. Expectations of health services differed between cultures. Implications can be drawn for the design of future health services addressing the specific health needs of families with children with chronic illness.