title: The evaluation of a question prompt list for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in pediatric care: A pilot study.
abstract: Of the available treatment options for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the use of medications remains the most controversial and it is often difficult for parents to make decisions about treatment. Provision of relevant, reliable information about treatment during consultations may help address parents' concerns about treatment options. Question prompt lists are structured lists of disease and treatment-specific questions intended for use by patients during consultations to encourage communication with clinicians. They may prove useful in empowering parents to ask questions during consultations and to make informed decisions about treatments for ADHD.
  
  
  
  To evaluate the acceptability and usefulness of a question prompt list (QPL) for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during consultations between parents of diagnosed children and their pediatricians.
  
  
  
  Parents of children recently diagnosed with ADHD (n = 17) received a copy of the QPL 7 days before their child's appointment and completed questionnaires before and after their consultations to elicit: satisfaction with the consultation and QPL; situational anxiety levels; achievement of decision-making and information preferences. Pediatricians (n = 3) completed questionnaires after each consultation to determine the impact of the QPL on consultation flow and to ascertain their willingness to incorporate the QPL into their practice.
  
  
  
  All parents reported that the QPL helped them to ask more questions, was easy to understand and would be useful to them in future. After receiving the QPL and seeing the pediatrician, parents' anxiety decreased significantly. All described their decision-making roles as 'just right' and were satisfied with the information obtained during their consultations. All pediatricians agreed that the QPL was helpful for parents, made communication easier, and helped parents to initiate discussion about difficult topics. The QPL was not found to impede flow of the consultation. All agreed QPL provision was feasible as part of routine clinical care.
  
  
  
  The QPL received strong support from parents and pediatricians and may be a useful tool in facilitating communication and shared decision-making in this setting. The findings warrant further investigation in a larger randomized controlled study.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: rana.ahmed@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Rana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Kirsten J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: McCaffery
authors.affiliation: Child Development Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, Australia.
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Silove
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Phyllis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Butow
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Research into Adolescents' Health (CRASH), The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, Australia.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Research into Adolescents' Health (CRASH), The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kohn
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Parisa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aslani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents; D000072143:Pediatricians / Q000458:organization & administration; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: ADHD; Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; Communication; Pediatrician; Question prompt list; Shared decision-making