TY - JOUR
T1 - The Development of a Communication Tool to Aid Parent-Centered Communication between Parents and Healthcare Professionals
T2 - A Quality Improvement Project
AU - Marino, Luise
AU - Collaco, Nicole
AU - Coyne, Sophie
AU - Leppan, Megan
AU - Ridgeway, Steve
AU - Bharucha, Tara
AU - Cochrane, Colette
AU - Fandinga, Catarina
AU - Palframan, Karla
AU - Rees, Leanne
AU - Osman, Ahmed
AU - Johnson, Mark
AU - Hurley-Wallace, Anna
AU - Darlington, Anne-Sophie
N1 - Funding Information:
This report is independent research arising from a Thames Valley Wessex Congenital Heart Disease Network research grant and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust Small Grants GRT0684. Luise V. Marino also is the recipient of a Research Leaders Programme award, Southampton Academy of Research, UHS.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the authors.
PY - 2023/10/10
Y1 - 2023/10/10
N2 - Good communication is central to good healthcare. As a result of poor communication between parents and healthcare professionals (HCPs) in clinical settings, this study aimed to address this problem by developing a communication tool to empower parents and act as a prompt for HCPs to talk about the child’s care and gather information at the point of admission to hospital about what is important to families, therefore supporting patient-centered communication. A design thinking process was used to develop a physical copy of Chloe’s card and evaluate its use. Design thinking is a problem-solving approach, which uses an empathetic lens to integrate viewpoints of different stakeholders throughout the process of creating solutions. Design thinking involves five processes: (1) empathise—including a literature review and data synthesis, (2) define—by completing semi-structured interviews with parents about their experience of communication and HCPs perceptions of parent’s experience of communication, (3) ideate—iterate the design of Chloe’s card with parents and HCPs, (4) prototype—develop the design of Chloe’s card, and (5) test—pilot test in clinical practice. Results from this initial study suggest that a small hand-held card, with emoticons and a place to write concerns, was acceptable to parents and feasible to use in clinical practice. Parents do not always feel heard by HCPs and a tool such as Chloe’s card may help facilitate sharing of information about matters important to them and their child. However, some HCPs felt the need for a communication tool undermined their clinical skills. Feedback from HCP participants suggests that the idea of Chloe’s card was acceptable and perceived as potentially being useful in clinical practice. Further work is required, as part of a larger study, to further refine this communication tool, identify those parents who would benefit most from Chloe’s card, as well as to further refine the HCP process prior to implementing it into clinical settings. It was noted future iterations would benefit from a digital version linked with a child’s electronic record, as well as multi-language versions and information for parents.
AB - Good communication is central to good healthcare. As a result of poor communication between parents and healthcare professionals (HCPs) in clinical settings, this study aimed to address this problem by developing a communication tool to empower parents and act as a prompt for HCPs to talk about the child’s care and gather information at the point of admission to hospital about what is important to families, therefore supporting patient-centered communication. A design thinking process was used to develop a physical copy of Chloe’s card and evaluate its use. Design thinking is a problem-solving approach, which uses an empathetic lens to integrate viewpoints of different stakeholders throughout the process of creating solutions. Design thinking involves five processes: (1) empathise—including a literature review and data synthesis, (2) define—by completing semi-structured interviews with parents about their experience of communication and HCPs perceptions of parent’s experience of communication, (3) ideate—iterate the design of Chloe’s card with parents and HCPs, (4) prototype—develop the design of Chloe’s card, and (5) test—pilot test in clinical practice. Results from this initial study suggest that a small hand-held card, with emoticons and a place to write concerns, was acceptable to parents and feasible to use in clinical practice. Parents do not always feel heard by HCPs and a tool such as Chloe’s card may help facilitate sharing of information about matters important to them and their child. However, some HCPs felt the need for a communication tool undermined their clinical skills. Feedback from HCP participants suggests that the idea of Chloe’s card was acceptable and perceived as potentially being useful in clinical practice. Further work is required, as part of a larger study, to further refine this communication tool, identify those parents who would benefit most from Chloe’s card, as well as to further refine the HCP process prior to implementing it into clinical settings. It was noted future iterations would benefit from a digital version linked with a child’s electronic record, as well as multi-language versions and information for parents.
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11202706
U2 - 10.3390/healthcare11202706
DO - 10.3390/healthcare11202706
M3 - Article (Academic Journal)
C2 - 37893780
SN - 2227-9032
VL - 11
JO - Healthcare
JF - Healthcare
IS - 20
M1 - 2706
ER -