title: Application of the verona coding definitions of emotional sequences (VR-CoDES) on a pediatric data set.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Adult patients present concerns as defined in the Verona Coding Definitions of Emotional Sequences (VR-CoDES), but we do not know how children express their concerns during medical consultations. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of VR-CoDES to pediatric oncology consultations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight pediatric consultations were coded with the Verona Coding Definitions of Emotional Sequences (VR-CoDES), and the material was also qualitatively analyzed for descriptive purposes. Five consultations were randomly selected for reliability testing and descriptive statistics were computed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Perfect inter-rater reliability for concerns and moderate reliability for cues were obtained. Cues and/or concerns were present in over half of the consultations. Cues were more frequent than concerns, with the majority of cues being verbal hints to hidden concerns or non-verbal cues. Intensity of expressions, limitations in vocabulary, commonality of statements, and complexity of the setting complicated the use of VR-CoDES. Child-specific cues; use of the imperative, cues about past experiences, and use of onomatopoeia were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with cancer express concerns during medical consultations. VR-CoDES is a reliable tool for coding concerns in pediatric data sets.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For future applications in pediatric settings an appendix should be developed to incorporate the child-specific traits.
authors.affiliation: Center for Shared Decision Making and Nursing Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. torun.vatne@rr-research.no
authors.forename: Torun M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Vatne
authors.forename: Arnstein
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Finset
authors.forename: Knut
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ørnes
authors.forename: Cornelia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ruland
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003463:Cues; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D009664:Norway; D010372:Pediatrics; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards