Exploration of family/whānau and general practitioner perspectives of paediatric grommet services: a mixed methods study

Introduction Traditionally, grommet post-surgical follow-up care has been undertaken by otorhinolaryngologists (ORLs), but in a large public outpatient ORL service in Auckland, New Zealand (Counties Manukau), this responsibility has been partially devolved to general practitioners (GPs). Aim The purpose of this study is to explore the perspectives and experiences of families/whānau and GPs regarding grommet services for children. Methods A mixed methods approach was used with family/whānau comprising semi-structured interviews and a GP survey. Recruitment of families/whānau reflected the local demographic and all participants were primary carers of a child who had received grommet surgery between 2020 and 2021. All GPs were practising in clinics within the ORL service catchment area. Results Twenty-eight family/whānau interviews were conducted, and 22 GPs responded to the survey. Five main themes were identified: (1) awareness of child development; (2) challenges accessing health care; (3) responses to health information; (4) importance of aftercare; and (5) preference for service provision. Most (16) GP respondents reported they should not be responsible for post-surgical follow-up after grommet insertion. Lack of capacity and funding were identified as key barriers to GP-led follow-up. Discussion Families/whānau highly valued follow-up services and hearing evaluations after grommet insertion, and had a strong preference for clinicians with perceived expertise in ear and hearing care (ORLs and audiologists). They reported multiple barriers to receiving the desired care. Māori and Pacific families/whānau experienced additional delays for referrals into specialist services. GPs showed low support for primary care-led grommet follow-up care, with most not providing routine grommet checks after surgery.