[Quality of communication with the caregiver of pediatric patient]

The deficiencies in the communication between the doctor and the patient have an impact on the care process and its therapeutic outcome. The objective of this study was to determine the perception of the information provided by treating physicians by parents or primary caregivers and the deficits observed in their relationship during the hospitalization of pediatric patients in high, medium and low complexity units.

Descriptive study carried out from January to May 2017 at the Foundation Hospital de la Misericordia, Bogotá (Colombia), through an anonymous, self-filled survey during the hospital stay, consisting of a first part of open questions, and the second by a survey Likert type with qualitative variables. The qualitative variables evaluated through the survey were summarized in frequencies; in addition, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test was performed with principal component analysis under a Varimax rotation.

Three hundred and eighty-seven primary caregivers were surveyed, 68.5% belonged to the general stay area, 20.4% to intermediate care and 11.1% to intensive care. Ninety percent of the respondents agreed on the way in which the patient's evolution was explained, expressing satisfaction with the information delivered, the language in which it was expressed and the interest towards their concerns; despite this, 41% indicated uncertainty regarding the medical evolution of their son.

An adequate warning was received regarding the medical information provided, the language used, the treatment of the patient and teaching the main caregiver about the pathology presented by the patient. The uncertainty regarding the evolution of patients is the factor that contributes the most to dissatisfaction with the quality of the information.