Parental acceptance of delegated pediatric services.

Abstract

The Council on Pediatric Practice of the American Academy of Pediatrics has published a manual of standards1 which permits delegation of some well-child services to pediatric assistants. For example, approximately half of a well baby9s visits for health supervision might not involve the pediatrician personally. When this proposal was discussed with colleagues, many expressed their preference to provide these services themselves as they were trained to do, and they doubted that the aide9s services would be acceptable to parents in their practices. Therefore, a survey of parental acceptance of assistant9s services seemed desirable. In my practice 4 years ago I started such a plan for large families to improve their compliance2 with health supervision stalldards.