[Evaluation of the understanding level of pediatric prescription]

This study intends to establish the relation between the understanding level of pediatric prescription by the mother, or other adult, accompanying the child to a doctors visit and the probable causes of noncompliance with the treatment, in order to improve the quality of pediatric health care.

We randomly interviewed one hundred adults who accompanied children to the pediatric outpatient clinic of Hospital Universitário. They received medical orientation and/or prescriptions. The interviews were made from April to October 2000 and we used a questionnaire to evaluate social, economic and cultural status. We also evaluated aspects related to the appointment and treatment, and the understanding of doctors handwriting and prescription.

Eighty-three percent of them received a prescription and 17% received only orientation; 88% were the mothers and 63% had not finished elementary school. Concerning the appointment, 80% felt satisfied. Seventy-one percent among those who received prescriptions could understand the doctor's handwriting and 29% had some or none understanding of it. Forty-seven percent of the prescriptions had symbols and/or abbreviations that could not be understood by 59% of the adults. Seventy-one percent could remember all the prescribed drugs without looking at the prescription; 15.7% needed to read it in order to remember the drugs; 7.2% could not remember the drugs and said that a pharmacist had to help them and 6% could not remember or read the prescription.

Aspects related to the poor understanding of pediatric prescriptions are caused by the low social, economic and cultural status of the adult accompanying the child; as well as aspects regarding physicians such as the use of symbols and abbreviations, illegible handwriting and verbal orientation only.