Communication and the Appraisal of Uncertainty: Exploring Parents’ Communication with Credible Authorities in the Context of Chronic Childhood Illness

ABSTRACT

Individuals with chronic illnesses must manage long-term uncertainty as they cope with the ways the illness influences their lives. In the context of pediatric illnesses, parents must manage uncertainty during the diagnosis and treatment of their child’s illness. It is common for children with complex chronic illnesses to see multiple specialists for the treatment of their condition. While previous research has explored parents’ uncertainty during a child’s diagnosis and during end-of-life care, less is known about these experiences when the child is referred to a team of specialists for treatment. The aim of the current study was to explore how specialists, as credible authorities, influence parents’ uncertainty during parents’ first visit to a multidisciplinary clinic for the care of their child’s complex chronic illness. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 29 parents after their child’s first visit to a vascular anomaly clinic at a large Midwestern children’s hospital. The results suggest parents’ communication with credible authorities facilitates effective uncertainty management primarily through the mechanism of uncertainty reappraisal. The results also suggest that specialists, as credible authorities, are a key mechanism in the appraisal of uncertainty for conditions that are often misdiagnosed and mismanaged.

Notes

1. We collected data from 30 participants, but because one interview lasted less than 7 minutes, and did not influence data saturation, we omitted the interview for the purposes of data analysis.

2. The full interview protocol is available from the corresponding author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Anna M. Kerr

Anna M. Kerr, PhD, Department of Family Medicine, Ohio University, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

Nancy Grant Harrington

Nancy Grant Harrington, PhD, Department of Communication, University of Kentucky, College of Communication and Information

Allison M. Scott

Allison M. Scott, PhD, Department of Communication, University of Kentucky, College of Communication and Information