Towards an international consensus on safety netting advice for acutely ill children presenting to ambulatory care: a modified e-Delphi procedure

Abstract

ObjectiveDevelop a consensus on the content and form of safety netting advice (SNA) for parents of acutely ill children.DesignFour-round modified e-Delphi using online questionnaires and feedback among clinical and research experts.SettingAmbulatory care in high-income countries.ParticipantsForty-one experts from 13 countries: 3 emergency physicians, 15 general practitioners, 4 nurses and 19 paediatricians.ResultsThe experts defined the content of SNA as advice on the normal, expected disease course of the provisional diagnosis, diagnostic uncertainty, alarm signs that indicate the need for medical help and information on where and how to find such help. Regarding the form of the SNA, the experts agree that a reliable source should give SNA verbally with paper or digital written or video/image resources at every appropriate healthcare encounter in a short and simple empowering fashion, specific to the child’s situation and seek confirmatory feedback from parents.ConclusionsSNA needs to contain advice on the expected disease course, alarm signs and where and how to find help. It should be given verbally with written resources by a reliable healthcare professional or digital platform. Short, simple and specific, SNA needs to empower the parent whose understanding of the advice should be checked. The effectiveness of SNA resources coproduced by parents and experts should be assessed in different settings and those providing SNA require up-to-date and reliable training.