3.2. ‘‘He didn’t even listen’’: parents’ views of the credibility of the
medical evaluation
A predominant theme from all parent interviews was the
parents’ judgment regarding the credibility of the medical
evaluation within consultations being dependent on the nature
of the communication. If a parent felt the clinician was
uninterested or dismissive, the diagnosis and treatment advice
was less credible, compared to when they felt the clinician had
taken them, and their child’s condition, seriously and performed a
thorough medical evaluation, even when the diagnosis and
treatment advice were similar. Parents also reported they were
more likely to re-consult (repeat consultation for the same illness
episode) when they felt a credible medical evaluation had not
taken place, both when they had received a ‘viral’ diagnosis and
when they had received an antibiotic prescription.