Communication skills of residents to families with Down syndrome babies
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 11, 2026
Clinical Practice Protocol of Creative Music Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Published on: January 7, 2020
Derya G Dogan1, Yesim Kutluturk2, Meltem Kivilcim2
1Inonu University School of Medicine, Department of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, Malatya, Turkey. deryagumus@yahoo.com.
Insights
Pediatric residents report high discomfort discussing Down syndrome (DS) diagnoses with parents. Female residents experience greater discomfort, indicating a need for targeted communication training for pediatricians delivering DS news.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric medicine
- Medical education
- Genetics and developmental disorders
Background:
- Pediatricians are crucial in delivering Down syndrome (DS) diagnoses.
- Parental dissatisfaction with initial DS diagnosis communication is prevalent.
- Educational interventions are needed to improve pediatrician-parent communication regarding DS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess pediatric residents' comfort levels in communicating with parents of newborns with Down syndrome.
- To identify training needs for pediatric residents in delivering DS diagnoses.
Main Methods:
- A survey using the Diagnostic Situations Inventory (DSI) assessed resident discomfort.
- The survey was distributed nationally via mobile, web, and social media.
- Socio-demographic data and training requirements were collected.
Main Results:
- The mean discomfort score was 30.22 out of 50.
- Female residents reported significantly higher discomfort levels.
- Factors associated with increased training needs included being female, lower residency level, and fewer DS patient encounters.
- 84% of residents desired additional training.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric residents exhibit significant discomfort when communicating Down syndrome diagnoses to parents.
- Female residents experience higher discomfort than male residents.
- There is a clear need for enhanced communication training for pediatric residents.
Background:
Generally, pediatricians are the first health caregivers to deliver initial diagnosis of Down syndrome (DS) to the families. However, most of the parents are not satisfied with the contents and how they receive information when their child is born with DS. Pediatric residents should target educational interventions to help parents to overcome with these issues and to provide accurate information. The objective is to assess comfort levels and training requirements of pediatric residents to communicate with parents of babies born with Down syndrome.
Methods:
Diagnostic Situations Inventory (DSI) is a rating scale which included ten questions to assess discomfort level. A survey was sent via mobile, websites and all the social media which were available to all pediatrics residents in the country. Socio-demographic factors including information about training requirement were collected as well.
Results:
From the 326 participants, total mean discomfort level was 30.22 in DSI out of 50 which was the highest score. Discomfort level was significantly increased in female participants (p= 0.033). Being female (p= 0.014), having less residency level (p= 0.028), examining less number of patients with Down syndrome (p= 0.025) and having higher discomfort levels (p= 0.001) were found to be related with increased training requirement. From the residents, 84% declared the need for additional training.
Conclusions:
This study showed that pediatric residents had a high level of discomfort when communicating with parentes of newborn with Down Syndrome. Female residentes had a discomfort level significantly higher than male residentes.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:23Techniques of Therapeutic Communication II: Focusing, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing
This therapeutic technique can also be used when a patient brings up pertinent information during a health-related conversation. The...
01:15Techniques of therapeutic communication I: Active Listening, Sharing Observations, Validation, and Using Touch
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...
01:30Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Primary Temperament Types
01:21Barriers to Effective Communication II
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...
01:29SBAR I: Understanding the Concept
Standardized methods of communication have been developed to ensure that information is...
01:29Documentation in Long-Term and Home Healthcare Setting
Long-Term Care Facilities