Major themes in parent-provider relationships: A comparison of life-threatening and chronic illness experiences

The nature and quality of parent-professional relationships in two contrasting illness situations was explored in this study. Results are based on a secondary analysis of 32 families in which a child had diabetes and 20 families in which a child had life-threatening illness. Data analysis revealed three patterns of decision making across parents in the two illness situations: dependent, independent, and collaborative. These patterns varied in terms of the nature and amount of reliance on health care professionals. In addition, parental expectations of providers, placement of trust, and information exchange also varied and served to further define group differences.