Research on the quality of parent-provider communication in pediatric care: implications and recommendations

Abstract

This narrative review of the correlates of effective parent-provider communication and relevant interventions indicates that effective parent-provider communication is associated with parental satisfaction with care, adherence to treatment recommendations, and enhanced discussion of psychosocial concerns. Moreover, interventions designed to improve parent-provider communication resulted in more discussion of psychosocial concerns, better recall of information from the visit, and improved parent-provider communication. Recommendations for the development of more effective studies of parent-provider communication and relevant interventions in pediatric primary care include the need for theoretical models to help guide research, the development of reliable and valid self-report measures of communication, the assessment of clinically relevant correlates of parent-provider communication, and the study of children's roles in communication with their pediatricians.