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How do paediatricians communicate with children and parents?

E Wassmer1, G Minnaar, N Abdel Aal

  • 1Department of Paediatric Medicine, Birmingham Children's Hospital, Birmingham, United Kingdom. e.wassmer@totalise.co.uk

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|October 30, 2004
PubMed

Insights

In pediatric outpatient visits, doctors dominate conversations, with children contributing minimally. Encouraging child participation is crucial for a patient-centered approach in pediatric communication.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Medicine
  • Communication Studies
  • Healthcare Interaction Analysis

Background:

  • The outpatient clinic visit is central to pediatric healthcare.
  • Recognizing children as active participants in medical consultations is increasingly important.
  • Understanding the dynamics of doctor-parent-child communication is essential for effective care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe and assess the communication patterns between doctors, parents, and children during pediatric outpatient visits.
  • To quantify the contributions of each party to the consultation.
  • To evaluate the relationship between communication behaviors and participant perceptions.

Main Methods:

  • Audio recording and quantitative analysis of 51 pediatric clinic consultations.
  • Administration of questionnaires to assess parents' and children's perceptions of the visit.
  • Analysis of communication behaviors including turn-taking, instrumental, affective, and social exchanges.

Main Results:

  • Doctors dominated consultations, contributing 61% of the conversation and 52% of turn-taking.
  • Children's verbal contribution was limited to 4%, with only 3% seeking information.
  • No significant correlation was found between communication behaviors and participant perceptions.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric consultations are largely instrumental, with doctors directing the interaction.
  • Children's participation in outpatient visits is minimal and needs enhancement.
  • A patient-centered approach requires actively encouraging children's involvement in their healthcare discussions.
Abstract

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