title: A Pilot Study of the Pediatric Oral Medications Screener (POMS).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Oral medications are commonly used to treat acute and chronic conditions, but formal evaluation of a child's pill-swallowing ability rarely occurs. In this pilot study, the Pediatric Oral Medication Screener (POMS) was used to physically assess a child's pill swallowing ability and identify children who would benefit from a targeted intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified children 3 to 17 years old admitted to a general pediatric service over a 3-month period in 2014. Patients were asked to swallow several different-sized placebo formulations. If subjects did not meet age-based goals, they were referred for pill swallowing interventions (POMS+). Follow-up parental surveys were performed for patients completing the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prospective pilot study recruited 34 patients. Twenty-eight patients (82%) passed the screening, and a majority of this group started or continued taking pill medications. Six did not pass the screen. Three of the 6 completed the intervention, improved their pill swallowing ability, and were taking oral pill medications at discharge. Parent prediction of pill swallowing was accurate only 56% of the time. Follow-up survey of the 3 families who completed POMS+ reported satisfaction with the program, and 2 of the patients had continued success with swallowing pills 5 months later.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The POMS was effective at identifying children who could benefit from an intervention to improve pill-swallowing ability. Our analysis demonstrated that POMS has the potential to improve patient satisfaction and discharge planning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, and School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina; and.
authors.forename: Amee
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Department of Recreational Therapy and Child Life, North Carolina Children's Hospital, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Meghan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.affiliation: Department of Recreational Therapy and Child Life, North Carolina Children's Hospital, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, and.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bradford
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, and ravi.jhaveri@unc.edu.
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jhaveri
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003679:Deglutition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D055118:Medication Adherence; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010919:Placebos; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos