Abstract
BACKGROUND: Young children often get sick, and although they usually do not need treatment, it can be distressing for parents and lead to a high rate of urgent health care use. As the demand for out-of-hours services grows, understanding parents' concerns and needs when caring for an ill child is crucial for designing interventions that support informed health-seeking decisions. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate why parents contacted a Medical Helpline, their expectations regarding the call, and how their situation changed following telephone triage. METHODS: Parents who contacted an out-of-hours Medical Helpline in Denmark participated in semistructured interviews that were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's 6-step approach to thematic analysis. RESULTS: A total of 39 interviews were conducted. Our analysis led to three key themes: (1) parental uncertainty in decision-making: caring for an ill child was associated with stress and uncertainty. Parents lacked the tools to differentiate between acceptable symptoms and signs of severe illness, resulting in catastrophic thinking; (2) validation: parents contacted the medical helpline to validate their assessment and share responsibility with a health care professional; they experienced a conflict between responsible health care usage and the need for reassurance; and (3) feeling safe at home: when the health care professional demonstrated competence, recognized parents' emotions, and dedicated time to explain the symptoms, parents felt empowered to manage their child at home through telephone consultation. CONCLUSIONS: Uncertainty in assessing a sick child's symptoms can lead parents to seek reassurance and validation by contacting a medical helpline. Telephone consultations often enable parents to manage their children at home. Interventions that help parents distinguish between mild and severe symptoms, and accept frequent illnesses as a normal part of childhood, could reduce stress and reliance on health care services.