Objective: To examine parents' questions to clinicians and how clinicians respond in paediatric hearing healthcare appointments with children with hearing loss.
Methods: The data consisted of 48 video-recorded hearing habilitation appointments. Participants included 22 clinicians, 41 children, and 48 parents/carers. Data were analysed using conversation analysis.
Results: A total of 89 questions from parents were directed to the clinicians in the appointments. Parents' questions were mostly designed as polar (yes/no) questions. The questions covered several action and topical agendas, and in most instances functioned as something other than merely soliciting information. The most prominent action agenda of parents' questions involved questions that displayed parental concern. These questions sought reassurance as well as information from the clinician.
Conclusion: While parents in this study did not ask a large number of questions during the appointments their questions performed important functions. Parents' questions cannot be assumed to be only about seeking information. Often parents' questions are in pursuit of reassurance from the clinician about their child's progress.
Practice implications: Clinicians may need to provide encouragement to parents to ask questions during appointments. As part of delivering family-centred care, clinicians need to be aware that their responses may need to go beyond information provision.
Keywords: Clinician-patient interaction; Conversation Analysis; Hearing impairment; Paediatric healthcare; Parents' questions.
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