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Pediatrician-parent-child communication: problem-related or not?
1NIVEL, PO Box 1568, 3500 BN, Utrecht, The Netherlands. s.vandulmen@nivel.nl
Insights
Pediatric communication patterns vary by child
Area of Science:
- Pediatric healthcare communication
- Medical sociology
- Child psychology
Background:
- Pediatricians encounter diverse health issues, each potentially requiring distinct communication approaches.
- The specific communication dynamics during pediatric visits based on the child's health problem remain under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if three established communication patterns are identifiable in real-world pediatric outpatient encounters.
- To compare communication patterns in visits involving children with respiratory versus behavioral problems.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 846 videotaped pediatric outpatient visits using the Roter Interaction Analysis System.
- Multivariate logistic regression to identify factors influencing communication patterns.
- Comparison of communication strategies for respiratory (n=269) and behavioral (n=77) issues.
Main Results:
- Biopsychosocial (45%), biomedical (40%), and psychosocial (15%) communication patterns were observed.
- Child's age and pediatrician's experience significantly influenced communication patterns.
- Distinct communication patterns were evident for respiratory and behavioral problems.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric healthcare communication varies significantly depending on the child's presenting problem.
- Less experienced pediatricians may require targeted training to enhance psychosocial communication skills.
- Tailoring communication strategies to specific pediatric conditions is crucial for effective care.
Abstract:
Pediatricians are generally confronted with a variety of health problems. Each of these problems may benefit from another pattern of healthcare communication. It is unknown whether the communication process during pediatric visits actually differs by the nature of the child's problem. This study first examined whether three formerly identified communication patterns could be distinguished within real-life pediatric outpatient encounters (N=846). Then, communication patterns during encounters with children with respiratory (n=269) or behavioral problems (n=77) were compared. Videotaped visits were observed using the Roter Interaction Analysis System. Two-level multivariate logistic regression analysis examined what factors contributed to the communication patterns. A biopsychosocial communication pattern was observed in 45%, a psychosocial in 15% and a biomedical pattern in 40% of the visits. Child's age and pediatrician's experience were related to the communication pattern. Different patterns did indeed prevail in respiratory and behavioral problems. As less experienced pediatricians attend to psychosocial issues less, they may have to be specifically encouraged to do so.
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