Health care providers' communication with pediatric patients and carers: a best practice implementation project.

Introduction and objectives: Health care providers need a high level of communication skills in dealing with pediatric patients and their carers. The objective of this project was to evaluate current practice and implement best practices promoting health care provider communication with pediatric patients and carers in a children's hospital in Tabriz, Iran.

Methods: This project used the JBI Model of Evidence-Based Healthcare, which guided the conceptualization of evidence implementation, context analysis, project implementation, and evaluation of outcomes using evidence-based quality indicators. An audit and feedback strategy was adopted to measure baseline compliance with best practices, develop strategies to address areas of non-compliance, and conduct a final audit to measure any changes in compliance. Four criteria were developed for the baseline and follow-up audits. Criteria 1 and 2 were evaluated using a sample of 30 health care providers, while Criteria 3 and 4 were evaluated using a sample of 80 pediatric patients and carers.

Results: All four criteria improved at the end of the project. Criterion 1 (health care staff receive communication skills training) had the highest mean score at baseline and follow-up (63% and 83%, respectively). Criterion 2 (implementation of local strategies by health care organizations) increased from 45% to 55%. However, this rate of improvement was the lowest of all the criteria. Criterion 3 (pediatric patients receive relevant education) improved from low to moderate, rising from 18% to 49%. A more significant improvement was noted for Criterion 4 (parents receive relevant education), which rose from 19% to 56%.

Conclusions: The strategies implemented in this project successfully improved health care provider communication with pediatric patients and their carers. To ensure project sustainability, repeat audits will be conducted after 3, 6, and 12 months.

Spanish abstract: http://links.lww.com/IJEBH/A199.