SynthesisBMJ open2020
Parents and carers' experiences of seeking health information and support online for long-term physical childhood conditions: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative research.
Synthesis in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Understanding influences of care-seeking behaviours for diarrhoeal illnesses: a qualitative meta-synthesis.BMJ open · 2026Pooled it
- Digital Health Literacy in Pediatric Rheumatic Disease: A Qualitative Study Using Interpretive Description.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- A Qualitative Study Evaluating the Parent-Specific Cow's Milk-Related Symptom Score (Pre-CoMiSS™).Nutrients · 2026Article
- "What's in It for the Kid?": An Approach for the Bedside Ethicist.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Online Health-Seeking Behavior Among Primary Caregivers of Children with Chronic Diseases: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of eHealth Literacy, Caregiver Characteristics, and Child Clinical Context.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2026Article
- Quality and Misinformation About Health Conditions in Online Peer Support Groups: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Online Support Groups for Family Caregivers: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Article
- Parental experiences of eczema advice in online parenting forums: a qualitative interview study.BJGP open · 2023Article
- Reprioritising global mental health: psychoses in sub-Saharan Africa.International journal of mental health systems · 2023Article
- Characteristics of Acute Childhood Illness Apps for Parents: Environmental Scan.Journal of medical Internet research · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo systematically review and synthesise qualitative research exploring parents/carers' experiences of seeking online information and support for long-term physical childhood conditions.
designSystematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative research. DATA SOURCES: Medline, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO and the International Bibliography of the Social Sciences were searched from inception to September 2019. We used thematic synthesis to analyse findings. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Primary research papers presenting qualitative data collection and analysis, focusing on parents/carers' experiences of seeking health information and support from online resources for long-term physical childhood health conditions. No language restrictions were placed.
results23 studies from seven countries met inclusion criteria and were included in the synthesis. Included studies presented data collected through interviews/focus groups with 559 parents/carers; free-text surveys and essays with 26 parents/carers and 2407 messages from online support groups. Parents/carers developed a variety of strategies to obtain information and support online, based on personal preferences, appraisal of trustworthiness, perceived needs and previous experiences online. Many parents sought the benefits of online information and support, which included reassurance and validation from online communities, and feeling they had greater knowledge about their children's conditions. Some concerns and perceived risks were discussed, which often stemmed from prior unsatisfactory experiences of seeking information and support online, consultations with health professionals and seeing distressing stories online.
conclusionMost parents/carers were successful in obtaining information and support online. Many continued to share experiences with other parents/carers online. The need for information was particularly apparent early after diagnosis of the condition, whereas the need for peer support continued. The potential concerns and perceived risks with information and support online were especially apparent among parents/carers of children with life-limiting long-term conditions. Findings may be useful for health professionals to facilitate discussions regarding use of online resources, and researchers designing online health resources for parents/carers. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018096009.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.