Consensus communication strategies to improve doctor-patient relationship in paediatric severe asthma

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Healthcare Communication
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• Asthma is a prevalent chronic respiratory disease in youth globally, imposing significant financial, emotional, and social burdens.
• Current guidelines emphasize physician-child/caregiver communication, yet challenges persist in pediatric severe asthma management.
• A prior Italian study highlighted critical issues in managing severe pediatric asthma, necessitating improved communication approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify simple, actionable recommendations for enhancing communication strategies in pediatric severe asthma care.
• To address criticalities identified in previous pediatric severe asthma management projects.
• To foster better physician-child and physician-parent relationships through improved communication.

Main Methods:

• A consensus meeting involving pediatric asthma experts, narrative medicine specialists, and patient associations was convened.
• Participants reviewed project results and narrative selections prior to the meeting.
• Working groups focused on communication strategies for children, adolescents, and parents across five key visit phases.

Main Results:

• Consensus was reached on the positive impact of strong physician-patient/caregiver relationships on health outcomes.
• Agreement was achieved on specific communication strategies to be implemented during different stages of patient interaction.
• Effective and ineffective communication practices were identified for key phases of a medical visit.

Conclusions:

• Dissemination of the consensus document is a key future challenge.
• Implementation of agreed-upon communication strategies is essential for improving pediatric asthma management.
• Enhancing communication is vital for addressing the ongoing challenges in severe pediatric asthma care.