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Published on: August 1, 2019
Development and feasibility of an objective measure of patient-centered communication fidelity in a pediatric obesity
Tracey Ledoux1, Angela Hilmers, Kathy Watson
1Department of Health and Human Performance, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-6015, USA. TALedoux@uh.edu
Insights
A new coding system (PCCCS) reliably measures person-centered communication (PCC) utterances in child obesity interventions. While utterance frequencies showed good reliability, global scores require further research for improved accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Behavioral Science
- Pediatric Health
Background:
- Childhood obesity interventions in primary care require effective communication strategies.
- Person-centered communication (PCC) is crucial for engaging families in health behavior change.
- A validated measure for assessing PCC in this context is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and assess the feasibility of the PCC Coding System (PCCCS).
- To evaluate the reliability of the PCCCS for use in primary care child obesity interventions.
Main Methods:
- The PCC Coding System (PCCCS) was developed based on theory and motivational interviewing.
- Inter-rater reliability of the PCCCS was tested on audio recordings from 30 families in a primary care obesity intervention (Helping Healthy Activity and Nutrition Directions).
- The PCCCS provided global scores and frequencies of positive/negative PCC utterances.
Main Results:
- The PCCCS demonstrated good inter-rater reliability for PCC utterance frequencies.
- Inter-rater reliability was not established for the PCCCS global scores.
- The feasibility of using the PCCCS in primary care settings was demonstrated.
Conclusions:
- The PCCCS is a reliable and feasible tool for measuring PCC utterances in child obesity interventions.
- Further research is needed to enhance the inter-rater reliability of the PCCCS global scale.
- The PCCCS holds potential for assessing intervention fidelity in future PCC research.
Objective:
To develop a measure of person-centered communication (PCC) and demonstrate feasibility for use in primary care child obesity interventions.
Methods:
Helping Healthy Activity and Nutrition Directions was a primary care intervention for families of overweight or obese 5- to 8-year-old children. The PCC Coding System (PCCCS) was based on theory and a validated motivational interviewing instrument. The PCCCS provided global scores, and total, positive, and negative PCC utterance frequencies. Three trained coders tested reliability of the PCCCS on audio recordings of sessions with 30 families. Potential uses of the PCCCS were demonstrated.
Results:
The PCCCS demonstrated good inter-rater reliability for utterance frequencies but not for global scores.
Conclusions And Implications:
The PCCCS is a reliable and feasible measure of PCC utterances. More research is needed to improve inter-rater reliability of the PCC global scale. The PCCCS may be used in the future to test fidelity of PCC interventions.
