Factors Influencing Parental Choice of Pediatric Healthcare Services at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in Eastern India: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Parental decision-making plays a central role in pediatric healthcare utilization, as parents are the primary decisionmakers for their children.Understanding the factors that influence parents' choice of healthcare facilities is essential for improving patient-centered and family-centered pediatric services.Evidence on these factors remains limited in the Indian context, particularly in eastern India.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 230 parents of children aged 0-13 years at MKCG Medical College, Berhampur.Data on sociodemographics and factors influencing hospital choice were collected via a validated questionnaire and analyzed using Chi-square tests (p