Objective: To describe counseling needs among parents of pediatric patients during waiting time and analyze associated factors.
Subjects and methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted among 425 parents of children attending the Pediatric Outpatient Clinic of Hong Ngoc General Hospital from January to March 2026. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to present frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations. Associated factors were analyzed using odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals and p-values.
Results: Among 425 participants, females accounted for 65.6%; the 30-39 age group accounted for 43.3%; and 71.5% had education above high school level. The mean waiting time from registration to physician’s conclusion was 51.0 ± 42.2 minutes, with a median of 30 minutes. Overall, 50.4% of parents reported a need for counseling on child care. The most common counseling needs were examination procedures (76%), estimated waiting time notification (65.6%), medical costs (46.1%), and explanation of test results/diagnosis (41.2%). The most preferred counseling forms were direct counseling by healthcare workers (80.2%) and printed leaflets/guidance materials (57.2%). Factors significantly associated with counseling needs included gender, education level, insurance/payment type, waiting time, child age, satisfaction with waiting time, and perceived service responsiveness.
Conclusions: Counseling needs among parents of pediatric patients during waiting time were relatively high, mainly focusing on examination procedures, expected waiting time, costs, and explanation of results. Hospitals should standardize counseling activities during waiting time by combining direct counseling, printed materials and appropriate digital support tools.