Study design (if review, criteria of inclusion for studies)
randomized controlled trial
Participants
Child health providers volunteered for a randomized controlled trial of assessment and a report card.
Interventions
Communication Quality Assurance intervention. Participants provided telephone counseling to a standardized parent regarding a newborn screening result showing heterozygous status for cystic fibrosis or sickle cell disease. Our rapid-throughput timeline allows individualized feedback within a week. Two encounters were recorded (baseline and after a random sample received the report card) and abstracted for four groups of communication quality indicators.
Outcome measures
communication behaviors, including request for teach-back, opening behaviors, anticipate/validate emotion and the ratio of explained to unexplained jargon words
Main results
92 participants finished both counseling encounters within our rapid-throughput time limits. Participants randomized to receive the report card improved communication behaviors more than controls, including request for teach-back (. p<. 0.01), opening behaviors (. p=. 0.01), anticipate/validate emotion (. p<. 0.001) and the ratio of explained to unexplained jargon words (. p<. 0.03).
Authors' conclusions
The rapid-throughput report card is effective at improving specific communication behaviors. Practice implications: Communication can be taught, but this project shows how healthcare organizations can assure communication quality everywhere. Further implementation could improve newborn screening, genetics, and healthcare in general.
Keywords: Adult; Child; Counseling; family; Family Therapy; non pharmacological intervention - psyco-soc-edu-org; Psychoeducation; training; Cognitive analytic therapy; information; Systemic interventions;