title: Outcome progress letter types: parent and physician preferences for letters from pediatric mental health services.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine health care professional and parental preferences for receiving progress letters from a pediatric mental health program between a traditional text-only format and a version in which information was presented using graphs and tables with limited text.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mailed survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nova Scotia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parents (n = 98) of children who received treatment from and health care professionals (n = 74) who referred patients to the Strongest Families Program (formerly the Family Help Program) were eligible. Most of the health care professionals were family practitioners (83.8%).
  
  
  METHODS
  Preference between 2 letters that contained the same content (including progress in the program, results from a questionnaire, and resolved and ongoing problems) in different formats--one using text only, the other using graphs as well as text.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 83.8% of health professionals and 76.5% of parents indicated that they preferred to receive feedback in letters containing information in graphical format. Background and demographic information did not predict preferences. Parents preferred to receive progress letters at the beginning, midway through, and at the end of treatment, and health professionals preferred to receive progress letters at the beginning and end of treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When receiving progress letters from a pediatric mental health program, health care professionals and parents preferred to receive letters that used graphs to help convey information.
authors.affiliation: Strongest Families Institute, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, NS. patricia.pottie@iwk.nshealth.ca
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lingley-Pottie
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Janz
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: McGrath
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: MacLean
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003196:Computer Graphics; D015709:Correspondence as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services; D009674:Nova Scotia; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D057240:Patient Preference; D010372:Pediatrics; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*