Caregivers’ reasons and health professionals’ perceptions of pediatric discharge against medical advice in Eastern Ethiopia: a mixed-methods study

Pediatric DAMA is shaped by an interplay of caregiver, socioeconomic, and systemic factors. Addressing it requires strengthening caregiver education, improving provider-caregiver communication, expanding financial and psychosocial support, and establishing institutional guidelines that empower health professionals to act in the best interest of children.