Sarah J Neill | University Of Plymouth (original) (raw)

Papers by Sarah J Neill

Research paper thumbnail of Caring for a sick or injured child during the COVID‐19 pandemic lockdown in 2020 in the UK: An online survey of parents' experiences

Health Expectations, 2021

Abstract Background During the COVID‐19 pandemic, the first UK lockdown (March to May 2020) witne... more Abstract Background During the COVID‐19 pandemic, the first UK lockdown (March to May 2020) witnessed a dramatic reduction in children presenting to primary/emergency care, creating concern that fear of the virus was resulting in children presenting late. Methods An online survey was co‐developed with UK parents to understand the impact of the lockdown on parents' help‐seeking for, and care of, their sick/injured child(ren). The survey was advertised through social media and snowballing to parents whose children had been ill/injured during the lockdown. Analysis used descriptive statistics, SPSSv25 and thematic analysis. Results The survey was fully completed by 198 UK parents. The majority asked for help (144/198): from their family doctor (78), national helplines (48) or an Emergency Department (23). Most reported that their decision‐making had not changed, although how they sought help had changed. A few parents reported that the severity and duration of illness had increased because of uncertainty about and/or difficulty accessing services. Parents did not always report seeking help for symptoms rated red or amber by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Parents reported accessing information through the internet or using information that they already had. Parent Contribution This was a collaboration with parents from survey development to dissemination, with two parents being integral members of our research team. Conclusions Our questionnaire was completed by parents who were not deterred from seeking help for their sick or injured children. Even for these parents, the lockdown changes to services created uncertainty about, and barriers to, accessing medical help for their children.

Research paper thumbnail of Navigating uncertain illness trajectories for young children with serious infectious illness: a modified grounded theory study

BMC Health Services Research

Background Infectious illness is the biggest cause of death in children due to a physical illness... more Background Infectious illness is the biggest cause of death in children due to a physical illness, particularly in children under five years. If mortality is to be reduced for this group of children, it is important to understand factors affecting their pathways to hospital. The aim of this study was to retrospectively identify organisational and environmental factors, and individual child, family, and professional factors affecting timing of admission to hospital for children under five years of age with a serious infectious illness (SII). Methods An explanatory modified grounded theory design was used in collaboration with parents. Two stages of data collection were conducted: Stage 1, interviews with 22 parents whose child had recently been hospitalised with a SII and 14 health professionals (HPs) involved in their pre-admission trajectories; Stage 2, focus groups with 18 parents and 16 HPs with past experience of SII in young children. Constant comparative analysis generated the...

Research paper thumbnail of The impact of digital educational interventions to support parents caring for acutely ill children at home and factors that affect their use: systematic review protocol (Preprint)

JMIR Research Protocols, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Navigating uncertain illness trajectories for young children with serious infectious illness: a mixed-methods modified grounded theory study

Infectious illness is the biggest cause of death in children due to a physical illness, particula... more Infectious illness is the biggest cause of death in children due to a physical illness, particularly in children under five years. If mortality is to be reduced for this group of children, it is important to understand factors affecting their pathways to hospital.The aim of this study was to retrospectively identify organisational and environmental factors, and individual child, family, and professional factors affecting timing of admission to hospital for children under five years of age with a serious infectious illness (SII).MethodsAn explanatory modified grounded theory mixed methods design was used in collaboration with parents. Two stages of data collection were conducted: Stage 1, interviews with 22 parents whose child had recently been hospitalised with a SII and 14 health professionals (HPs) involved in their pre-admission trajectories; Stage 2, focus groups with 18 parents and 16 HPs with past experience of SII in young children. Constant comparative analysis generated the...

Research paper thumbnail of Effective safety netting in acute childhood illness: an important contribution to avoiding preventable deaths

British Journal of General Practice, 2018

BackgroundChildren’s use of urgent care services continues to increase. If families are to access... more BackgroundChildren’s use of urgent care services continues to increase. If families are to access the right services at the right time they need access to information to inform their decision making. Providing a safety net of information has the potential to reduce morbidity and avoidable mortality and has been shown to reduce re-consultation safely.AimOur research programme aims to provide parents with information they can use to help them determine when to seek help for an acutely ill child.MethodOur programme includes: ASK SARA, a systematic review of existing interventions; ASK PIP, qualitative exploration of safety netting information used by parents and professionals; ASK SID, development of the content and delivery modes for the intervention; ASK ViC, video capture of children with acute illness; and ASK Petra, safety netting tool development using consensus methodology.ResultsThe ASK SNIFF programme findings demonstrate the need for professionally endorsed and co-produced sa...

Research paper thumbnail of Developing an International Child and Family Research Network

Research paper thumbnail of Construction of meanings during life‐limiting illnesses and its impacts on palliative care: Ethnographic study in an African context

Research paper thumbnail of Early Help in Early Years: Developing a Universal Assessment Tool

Comprehensive Child and Adolescent Nursing, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Factors influencing oral health behaviours, access and delivery of dental care for autistic children and adolescents: A mixed‐methods systematic review

Health Expectations

BackgroundAutistic children and young people (CYP) experience oral health (OH) inequalities. They... more BackgroundAutistic children and young people (CYP) experience oral health (OH) inequalities. They are at high risk of dental disease and show significant levels of unmet need in relation to OH and access to dental care.AimThis study aimed to gather evidence on the factors that influence OH behaviours, access to and delivery of dental care for autistic CYP.DesignThis was a mixed‐methods narrative systematic review.Data SourcesEmbase, Web of Science, Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source, MEDLINE, Psychinfo, Scopus, CINAHL, SocINDEX and grey literature were the data sources for this study.Review MethodsA systematic search was conducted for qualitative, quantitative and mixed‐methods research studies from countries with a High Development Index that related to OH behaviours, access to and delivery of dental care for autistic CYP. Results were analysed using narrative synthesis.ResultsFrom 59 eligible studies, 9 themes were generated: (1) affordability and accessibility; (2) autism‐related f...

Research paper thumbnail of Parental help-seeking behaviour for, and care of, a sick or injured child during the COVID-19 pandemic: a European online survey

BMC Health Services Research, Apr 25, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Parents’ experiences with a sick or injured child during the COVID-19 lockdown: an online survey in the Netherlands

Research paper thumbnail of Safety netting in acute childhood illness: empowering families and improving safety. An overview of the ASK SNIFF Research Programme

Research paper thumbnail of Impact of Digital Educational Interventions to Support Parents Caring for Acutely Ill Children at Home and Factors That Affect Their Use: Protocol for a Systematic Review (Preprint)

Research paper thumbnail of 1749 Safety Netting Information for the Acutely Sick Child: Systematic Literature on Effectiveness

Archives of Disease in Childhood, Oct 1, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of at home 'Do I, don't I ask for help?' : The perpetual dilemma of parents whose children are ill

Research paper thumbnail of Developing safety netting information for parents: reviewing the literature on effectiveness

Aim: This paper will present the findings from the first stages of a project which aims to develo... more Aim: This paper will present the findings from the first stages of a project which aims to develop safety netting information for parents to use to determine when to seek help for an acutely sick child. Method: Initial stages of the project, early findings from which will be presented, include: 1. a systematic review using thematic analysis to identify influences on the effectiveness of information resources for parents caring for an acutely ill child at home and 2. a scoping review to identify the range, quality and accessibility of information resources available to parents when their children are acutely ill at home. Results: Results presented will include information on identified factors which influence the impact of information resources for parents and the strength of these findings. It will also provide an overview of the strengths and limitations of existing resources identified for parents as measured against criteria derived from parents themselves. Take home message: Safety netting information resources for parents need to be effective in enabling parents to seek help. They also need to be acceptable to, & accessible by, parents in the practical context of acute childhood illness at hom

Research paper thumbnail of Felt or enacted criticism: its role in parents' decision making in differing contexts and communities

Research paper thumbnail of Collaborative research with parents: working together to get it right!

Aim: The aim of this paper is to share experiences of setting up, and working collaboratively wit... more Aim: The aim of this paper is to share experiences of setting up, and working collaboratively with, a parents' panel for the purposes of developing and conducting research to improve information available for families with an acutely ill child. Discussion: Patient and public involvement in research has become a mandatory requirement in the UK for research teams seeking funding through statutory, and many non-statutory, funding agencies. This paper will share with participants the process of setting up and recruiting parents into the group, introducing them to the research proposed, and engaging with them in collaborative research endeavour from refining the proposal through to the conduct of the initial stages of the research. The perspective of parents on the panel, and those of the professionals in the research team, will be presented. Take home message: It is important to work collaboratively with service users, in this case parents of young children, within research teams for the resulting research to be both credible and valid - in other words we need to work together to get it right!

Research paper thumbnail of The long‐term impact of <scp>COVID</scp>‐19 on nursing: An e‐panel discussion from the International Network for Child and Family Centred Care

Journal of Clinical Nursing, Mar 15, 2023

AimTo explore the International Network for Child and Family Centred Care (INCFCC) members' e... more AimTo explore the International Network for Child and Family Centred Care (INCFCC) members' experiences and views on the long‐term impact of COVID‐19 on the nursing workforce.BackgroundOn the 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID‐19 a global pandemic. While some countries adopted a herd immunity approach, others imposed stricter measures to reduce the transmission of the virus. Hospitals in some countries faced an avalanche of extremely sick admissions, whereas others experienced an early surge in cases or were able to control the spread.DesignDiscursive paper.MethodsA web‐based survey was e‐mailed to 63 INCFCC members from 28 March to 30 April 2022, as an invitation to share their experience concerning the long‐term impact of COVID‐19 on their role as a nurse educator, clinician or researcher.ResultsSixteen members responded, and the responses were grouped under the themes stress and anxiety, safe staffing and pay, doing things differently, impact on research, impact on teaching and learning, impact on clinical practice, nursing made visible and lessons for the future.ConclusionThe INCFCC members provided their views and highlighted the impact on their role in nursing education, administration, research and/or practice. This discussion of international perspectives on the similarities and differences imposed by COVID‐19 found that the impact was wide‐ranging and prolonged. The overarching theme revealed the resilience of the participating members in the face of COVID‐19.Relevance to Clinical PracticeThis study highlights the importance of all areas of nursing, be it in academia or in clinical practice, to work together to learn from the present and to plan for the future. Future work should focus on supporting organizational and personal resiliency and effective interventions to support the nursing workforce both during a disaster and in the recovery phase. Nursing workforce resilience in the face of COVID‐19.

Research paper thumbnail of Parents' use of safety netting information in acute childhood illness: what helps, what hinders?

Research paper thumbnail of Caring for a sick or injured child during the COVID‐19 pandemic lockdown in 2020 in the UK: An online survey of parents' experiences

Health Expectations, 2021

Abstract Background During the COVID‐19 pandemic, the first UK lockdown (March to May 2020) witne... more Abstract Background During the COVID‐19 pandemic, the first UK lockdown (March to May 2020) witnessed a dramatic reduction in children presenting to primary/emergency care, creating concern that fear of the virus was resulting in children presenting late. Methods An online survey was co‐developed with UK parents to understand the impact of the lockdown on parents' help‐seeking for, and care of, their sick/injured child(ren). The survey was advertised through social media and snowballing to parents whose children had been ill/injured during the lockdown. Analysis used descriptive statistics, SPSSv25 and thematic analysis. Results The survey was fully completed by 198 UK parents. The majority asked for help (144/198): from their family doctor (78), national helplines (48) or an Emergency Department (23). Most reported that their decision‐making had not changed, although how they sought help had changed. A few parents reported that the severity and duration of illness had increased because of uncertainty about and/or difficulty accessing services. Parents did not always report seeking help for symptoms rated red or amber by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Parents reported accessing information through the internet or using information that they already had. Parent Contribution This was a collaboration with parents from survey development to dissemination, with two parents being integral members of our research team. Conclusions Our questionnaire was completed by parents who were not deterred from seeking help for their sick or injured children. Even for these parents, the lockdown changes to services created uncertainty about, and barriers to, accessing medical help for their children.

Research paper thumbnail of Navigating uncertain illness trajectories for young children with serious infectious illness: a modified grounded theory study

BMC Health Services Research

Background Infectious illness is the biggest cause of death in children due to a physical illness... more Background Infectious illness is the biggest cause of death in children due to a physical illness, particularly in children under five years. If mortality is to be reduced for this group of children, it is important to understand factors affecting their pathways to hospital. The aim of this study was to retrospectively identify organisational and environmental factors, and individual child, family, and professional factors affecting timing of admission to hospital for children under five years of age with a serious infectious illness (SII). Methods An explanatory modified grounded theory design was used in collaboration with parents. Two stages of data collection were conducted: Stage 1, interviews with 22 parents whose child had recently been hospitalised with a SII and 14 health professionals (HPs) involved in their pre-admission trajectories; Stage 2, focus groups with 18 parents and 16 HPs with past experience of SII in young children. Constant comparative analysis generated the...

Research paper thumbnail of The impact of digital educational interventions to support parents caring for acutely ill children at home and factors that affect their use: systematic review protocol (Preprint)

JMIR Research Protocols, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Navigating uncertain illness trajectories for young children with serious infectious illness: a mixed-methods modified grounded theory study

Infectious illness is the biggest cause of death in children due to a physical illness, particula... more Infectious illness is the biggest cause of death in children due to a physical illness, particularly in children under five years. If mortality is to be reduced for this group of children, it is important to understand factors affecting their pathways to hospital.The aim of this study was to retrospectively identify organisational and environmental factors, and individual child, family, and professional factors affecting timing of admission to hospital for children under five years of age with a serious infectious illness (SII).MethodsAn explanatory modified grounded theory mixed methods design was used in collaboration with parents. Two stages of data collection were conducted: Stage 1, interviews with 22 parents whose child had recently been hospitalised with a SII and 14 health professionals (HPs) involved in their pre-admission trajectories; Stage 2, focus groups with 18 parents and 16 HPs with past experience of SII in young children. Constant comparative analysis generated the...

Research paper thumbnail of Effective safety netting in acute childhood illness: an important contribution to avoiding preventable deaths

British Journal of General Practice, 2018

BackgroundChildren’s use of urgent care services continues to increase. If families are to access... more BackgroundChildren’s use of urgent care services continues to increase. If families are to access the right services at the right time they need access to information to inform their decision making. Providing a safety net of information has the potential to reduce morbidity and avoidable mortality and has been shown to reduce re-consultation safely.AimOur research programme aims to provide parents with information they can use to help them determine when to seek help for an acutely ill child.MethodOur programme includes: ASK SARA, a systematic review of existing interventions; ASK PIP, qualitative exploration of safety netting information used by parents and professionals; ASK SID, development of the content and delivery modes for the intervention; ASK ViC, video capture of children with acute illness; and ASK Petra, safety netting tool development using consensus methodology.ResultsThe ASK SNIFF programme findings demonstrate the need for professionally endorsed and co-produced sa...

Research paper thumbnail of Developing an International Child and Family Research Network

Research paper thumbnail of Construction of meanings during life‐limiting illnesses and its impacts on palliative care: Ethnographic study in an African context

Research paper thumbnail of Early Help in Early Years: Developing a Universal Assessment Tool

Comprehensive Child and Adolescent Nursing, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Factors influencing oral health behaviours, access and delivery of dental care for autistic children and adolescents: A mixed‐methods systematic review

Health Expectations

BackgroundAutistic children and young people (CYP) experience oral health (OH) inequalities. They... more BackgroundAutistic children and young people (CYP) experience oral health (OH) inequalities. They are at high risk of dental disease and show significant levels of unmet need in relation to OH and access to dental care.AimThis study aimed to gather evidence on the factors that influence OH behaviours, access to and delivery of dental care for autistic CYP.DesignThis was a mixed‐methods narrative systematic review.Data SourcesEmbase, Web of Science, Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source, MEDLINE, Psychinfo, Scopus, CINAHL, SocINDEX and grey literature were the data sources for this study.Review MethodsA systematic search was conducted for qualitative, quantitative and mixed‐methods research studies from countries with a High Development Index that related to OH behaviours, access to and delivery of dental care for autistic CYP. Results were analysed using narrative synthesis.ResultsFrom 59 eligible studies, 9 themes were generated: (1) affordability and accessibility; (2) autism‐related f...

Research paper thumbnail of Parental help-seeking behaviour for, and care of, a sick or injured child during the COVID-19 pandemic: a European online survey

BMC Health Services Research, Apr 25, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Parents’ experiences with a sick or injured child during the COVID-19 lockdown: an online survey in the Netherlands

Research paper thumbnail of Safety netting in acute childhood illness: empowering families and improving safety. An overview of the ASK SNIFF Research Programme

Research paper thumbnail of Impact of Digital Educational Interventions to Support Parents Caring for Acutely Ill Children at Home and Factors That Affect Their Use: Protocol for a Systematic Review (Preprint)

Research paper thumbnail of 1749 Safety Netting Information for the Acutely Sick Child: Systematic Literature on Effectiveness

Archives of Disease in Childhood, Oct 1, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of at home 'Do I, don't I ask for help?' : The perpetual dilemma of parents whose children are ill

Research paper thumbnail of Developing safety netting information for parents: reviewing the literature on effectiveness

Aim: This paper will present the findings from the first stages of a project which aims to develo... more Aim: This paper will present the findings from the first stages of a project which aims to develop safety netting information for parents to use to determine when to seek help for an acutely sick child. Method: Initial stages of the project, early findings from which will be presented, include: 1. a systematic review using thematic analysis to identify influences on the effectiveness of information resources for parents caring for an acutely ill child at home and 2. a scoping review to identify the range, quality and accessibility of information resources available to parents when their children are acutely ill at home. Results: Results presented will include information on identified factors which influence the impact of information resources for parents and the strength of these findings. It will also provide an overview of the strengths and limitations of existing resources identified for parents as measured against criteria derived from parents themselves. Take home message: Safety netting information resources for parents need to be effective in enabling parents to seek help. They also need to be acceptable to, & accessible by, parents in the practical context of acute childhood illness at hom

Research paper thumbnail of Felt or enacted criticism: its role in parents' decision making in differing contexts and communities

Research paper thumbnail of Collaborative research with parents: working together to get it right!

Aim: The aim of this paper is to share experiences of setting up, and working collaboratively wit... more Aim: The aim of this paper is to share experiences of setting up, and working collaboratively with, a parents' panel for the purposes of developing and conducting research to improve information available for families with an acutely ill child. Discussion: Patient and public involvement in research has become a mandatory requirement in the UK for research teams seeking funding through statutory, and many non-statutory, funding agencies. This paper will share with participants the process of setting up and recruiting parents into the group, introducing them to the research proposed, and engaging with them in collaborative research endeavour from refining the proposal through to the conduct of the initial stages of the research. The perspective of parents on the panel, and those of the professionals in the research team, will be presented. Take home message: It is important to work collaboratively with service users, in this case parents of young children, within research teams for the resulting research to be both credible and valid - in other words we need to work together to get it right!

Research paper thumbnail of The long‐term impact of <scp>COVID</scp>‐19 on nursing: An e‐panel discussion from the International Network for Child and Family Centred Care

Journal of Clinical Nursing, Mar 15, 2023

AimTo explore the International Network for Child and Family Centred Care (INCFCC) members' e... more AimTo explore the International Network for Child and Family Centred Care (INCFCC) members' experiences and views on the long‐term impact of COVID‐19 on the nursing workforce.BackgroundOn the 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID‐19 a global pandemic. While some countries adopted a herd immunity approach, others imposed stricter measures to reduce the transmission of the virus. Hospitals in some countries faced an avalanche of extremely sick admissions, whereas others experienced an early surge in cases or were able to control the spread.DesignDiscursive paper.MethodsA web‐based survey was e‐mailed to 63 INCFCC members from 28 March to 30 April 2022, as an invitation to share their experience concerning the long‐term impact of COVID‐19 on their role as a nurse educator, clinician or researcher.ResultsSixteen members responded, and the responses were grouped under the themes stress and anxiety, safe staffing and pay, doing things differently, impact on research, impact on teaching and learning, impact on clinical practice, nursing made visible and lessons for the future.ConclusionThe INCFCC members provided their views and highlighted the impact on their role in nursing education, administration, research and/or practice. This discussion of international perspectives on the similarities and differences imposed by COVID‐19 found that the impact was wide‐ranging and prolonged. The overarching theme revealed the resilience of the participating members in the face of COVID‐19.Relevance to Clinical PracticeThis study highlights the importance of all areas of nursing, be it in academia or in clinical practice, to work together to learn from the present and to plan for the future. Future work should focus on supporting organizational and personal resiliency and effective interventions to support the nursing workforce both during a disaster and in the recovery phase. Nursing workforce resilience in the face of COVID‐19.

Research paper thumbnail of Parents' use of safety netting information in acute childhood illness: what helps, what hinders?