Communication strategies used in pediatric urology by specialist professionals

to describe the communication strategies used by urology specialists to obtain information directly from children.

a qualitative study with professionals who had been treating children with urinary and intestinal symptoms for at least one year. Semi-structured interviews were carried out, and thematic analysis was conducted and mediated by NVIVO version 12.0.

fourteen specialist professionals were interviewed. From their statements, three thematic categories emerged: (1) Verbal communication, with adaptation of language, use of simple terms and analogies; (2) Nonverbal communication, with visual resources such as drawings, scales and voiding diaries; (3) Play and playful strategies, such as the use of dolls to demonstrate positioning on the toilet, dramatizations and games to facilitate verbal expression of symptoms.

language adaptation, photo-elicitation, and playful tools prove to be effective communication strategies within pediatric urology. These strategies are low-cost, and can be developed and adapted to clinical practice.