Caregivers' perception of the attitude and skill of pediatricians attending to children in tertiary hospitals

Abstract

Background: When a pediatrician has the right attitude and displays good clinical skills, it is often associated with a wide range of positive health outcomes among children. Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine caregivers' perception of the attitude and skill of pediatricians attending to children in tertiary hospitals. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out in the pediatric wards of three teaching hospitals from two Southeastern states of Nigeria, namely, the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUTH) (both in Enugu State), and Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (FETA) in Ebonyi State. A structured, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information from the caregivers of children who were admitted in the hospitals during the study period. Results: A total of 227 respondents were involved in this study. Of all the children, 94 (41.4%) were females and 133 (58.6%) were males. Over a third of the caregivers, i.e., 78 (34.4%), did not know the cadre of the doctor who examined them while the majority, i.e., 204 (89.9%), believed that the doctors who examined them were qualified and competent. Moreover, over half of the respondents admitted that the doctors who examined their wards were either very good [83 (36.6%)] or good [84 (37%)]. Conclusion: Pediatricians and doctors who care for children in tertiary hospitals in Southeastern Nigeria are perceived by caregivers to be skillful, caring, and friendly.