Partnership in practice: what parents of a disabled child want from a generic health professional in Australia

In this paper we report on a qualitative needs analysis undertaken as part of a project to develop disability awareness resources for generic health professionals (GHP). Data were collected through focus groups (n = 5) and individual interviews (n = 7) with 34 parents . carers and was analysed using a process of thematic analysis. Partnership was identified as the overarching theme that answers the question What do parents . carers want from a GHP? Three further themes were identified that together tell the partnership story. These are: The GHP.parent partnership, Qualities of a GHP, and The role of advocacy in the GHP-parent partnership. Implications are presented that highlight the importance of advocacy in GHP.parent partnerships and suggest improvements in GHP education and preparation.