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Optimistic vs Pessimistic Message Framing in Communicating Prognosis to Parents of Very Preterm Infants: The COPE
Fiona A Forth1, Florian Hammerle2, Jochem König3
1Division of Neonatology, Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Insights
Parents of very preterm infants often prefer optimistic prognostic information. This framing may improve survival recall but not impairment recall, impacting communication in neonatal intensive care units.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Intensive Care
- Medical Communication
- Parental Education
Background:
- Effective communication of prognosis for serious complications in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) is crucial but not well understood.
- Parents of very preterm infants face complex prognostic information, influencing their understanding and decision-making.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate parental preferences for optimistic versus pessimistic message framing when receiving prognostic information.
- To assess the impact of message framing on parental anxiety, communication perception, and recall of numerical estimates.
Main Methods:
- A crossover randomized clinical trial involving parents of preterm infants (birth weight < 1500 g).
- Participants viewed two video vignettes presenting identical prognostic data with either optimistic or pessimistic framing.
- Outcomes measured included preference for framing, state anxiety, and recall of numerical estimates.
Main Results:
- A significant majority (89.1%) of parents preferred optimistic framing.
- Optimistic framing, especially when presented second, was preferred.
- Optimistic framing improved recall of survival estimates but not impairment estimates.
- State anxiety decreased when optimistic framing followed pessimistic framing.
Conclusions:
- Parents of very preterm infants tend to prefer optimistic framing of prognostic information.
- Optimistic framing may enhance realistic expectations for survival but not necessarily for impairment.
- Findings inform communication strategies in neonatal care to better support parents.
Importance:
In the neonatal intensive care unit, there is a lack of understanding about how best to communicate the prognosis of a serious complication to parents.
Objective:
To examine parental preferences and the effects of optimistic vs pessimistic message framing when providing prognostic information about a serious complication.
Design, Setting, And Participants:
This crossover randomized clinical trial was conducted at a single German university medical center between June and October 2021. Eligible participants were parents of surviving preterm infants with a birth weight under 1500 g. Data were analyzed between October 2021 and August 2022.
Interventions:
Alternating exposure to 2 scripted video vignettes showing a standardized conversation between a neonatologist and parents, portrayed by professional actors, about the prognosis of a hypothetical very preterm infant with severe intraventricular hemorrhage. The video vignettes differed in the framing of identical numerical outcome estimates as either probability of survival and probability of nonimpairment (optimistic framing) or a risk of death and impaired survival (pessimistic framing).
Main Outcomes And Measures:
The primary outcome was preference odds (ratio of preference for optimistic vs pessimistic framing). Secondary outcomes included state anxiety, perceptions of communication, and recall of numerical estimates.
Results:
Of 220 enrolled parents (142 [64.5%] mothers; mean [SD] age: mothers, 39.1 [5.6] years; fathers, 42.7 [6.9] years), 196 (89.1%) preferred optimistic and 24 (10.1%) preferred pessimistic framing (preference odds, 11.0; 95% CI, 6.28-19.10; P < .001). Preference for optimistic framing was more pronounced when presented second than when presented first (preference odds, 5.41; 95% CI, 1.77-16.48; P = .003). State anxiety scores were similar in both groups at baseline (mean difference, -0.34; -1.18 to 0.49; P = .42) and increased equally after the first video (mean difference, -0.55; 95% CI, -1.79 to 0.69; P = .39). After the second video, state anxiety scores decreased when optimistic framing followed pessimistic framing but remained unchanged when pessimistic framing followed optimistic framing (mean difference, 2.15; 95% CI, 0.91 to 3.39; P < .001). With optimistic framing, participants recalled numerical estimates more accurately for survival (odds ratio, 4.00; 95% CI, 1.64-9.79; P = .002) but not for impairment (odds ratio, 1.50; 95% CI, 0.85-2.63; P = .16).
Conclusions And Relevance:
When given prognostic information about a serious complication, parents of very preterm infants may prefer optimistic framing. Optimistic framing may lead to more realistic expectations for survival, but not for impairment.
Trial Registration:
German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS): DRKS00024466.
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