http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/ en-us Mon, 17 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:47:43 GMT Silverchair editor@archpedi.jamanetwork.com webmaster@archpedi.jamanetwork.com http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleID=189787 Sat, 01 Aug 1998 00:00:00 GMT Lightdale JR, Mudge CL, Ascher NL, et al. <span class="paragraphSection"><div class="boxTitle">Objective</div>To examine the role of pediatricians in posttransplantation care of pediatric liver transplant recipients.<div class="boxTitle">Design</div>Written survey of parents and pediatricians of children enrolled in a pediatric liver transplant program.<div class="boxTitle">Setting</div>Questionnaires were mailed from a liver transplant center (LTC), set in a university-affiliated, tertiary-care medical center, to the homes of families and the offices of pediatricians in a variety of urban, suburban, and rural locales worldwide.<div class="boxTitle">Study Population</div>Eighty-four percent of families and 81% of pediatricians who met study criteria participated.<div class="boxTitle">Results</div>Only 8.9% of all pediatricians reported feeling comfortable providing all care for their liver transplant patients, while 82.2% were most comfortable sharing responsibility for care with the LTC. The remaining 8.9% of pediatricians were most comfortable with the LTC providing care. The more comfort pediatricians reported in providing care, the more likely parents were to report contacting pediatricians for medical problems. The more comfort pediatricians reported, the more parents perceived that (1) pediatricians and the LTC work well together (<span style="font-style:italic;">P</span><.03); (2) the LTC is informed about their child (<span style="font-style:italic;">P</span><.001); and (3) pediatricians are similarly up-to-date (<span style="font-style:italic;">P</span><.001). Furthermore, the more comfort pediatricians felt, the more parents believed that the liver transplant improved their child's health (<span style="font-style:italic;">P</span><.03) and that their child enjoys school (<span style="font-style:italic;">P</span> = .08). Of the pediatricians, 15.6% who reported attending a continuing medical education course were significantly more comfortable (<span style="font-style:italic;">P</span> = .05). The 18.9% of participating pediatricians who reported receiving some training in pediatric gastroenterology were also significantly more comfortable caring for children with liver transplants (<span style="font-style:italic;">P</span><.05).<div class="boxTitle">Conclusion</div>Increasing pediatrician comfort levels in providing posttransplantation care for children with liver transplants is critical to the continuing success of pediatric liver transplantation.</span> 152 8 797 802 http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleID=189787