title: Enhancing parent-provider communication in ambulatory pediatric practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To address the need for interventions to enhance parent-provider communication, the present study evaluated the effectiveness of a brief intervention to enhance interpersonal communication skills by pediatric and internal medicine/pediatric residents with parents of children seen in ambulatory practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a within-subjects, repeated measures research design, residents (N=28) participated in a 1-112h intervention designed to increase the use of effective communication skills with their patients' families (N=92). Three pediatric visits (one prior to and two following the intervention) were audio-taped and coded using Roter's Interaction Analysis System. Parents' perceptions of residents' communication skills and satisfaction with care were gathered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Residents used more effective interpersonal communication skills following the intervention (p<.05). Parent satisfaction with care also increased (p<.01) with parents reporting greater satisfaction with distress relief (p=.01) and communication following the intervention (p=.05). However, parents' perceptions of resident communication did not change over time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that a relatively brief intervention shows promise in improving the quality of care provided within a pediatric ambulatory care setting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Training residents to increase their use of praise, empathy, and collaboration with families can be done within a brief intervention and may be associated with increased parental satisfaction with care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Case University Medical School & Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, USA. Chantelle_Hart@brown.edu
authors.forename: Chantelle Nobile
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Drotar
authors.forename: Abdulla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gori
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lewin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D003142:Communication; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D015146:Midwestern United States; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration