Children are also Casualties of Healthcare’s Communication Breakdown
A new study published in the journal of Pediatrics brings powerful data to a problem we’re all familiar with — the tendency to forget, misunderstand or otherwise wrongly translate physician instructions. In this case, however, the patients are children and those tasked with implementation are their parents.
According to the review, which compiled data from 64 studies back to 1985, a surprisingly high number of parents had incorrect or missing knowledge regarding important instructions related to their child’s emergency room visit. Most strikingly, up to 48% of parents made errors in dosing prescription drugs, whereas up to 64% of parents were not aware of important follow-up information. Although parents across a wide range of demographics were apt to mistakes, risk factors included limited English knowledge and complexity of the instructions.
The review stopped short of investigating resultant morbidity and mortality from these errors, an admittedly difficult correlation to assess. But it can reasonably be surmised that a proportion of these children were unnecessarily harmed by these “lost in translation” instructions.
Studies like this highlight what continues to be the lowest hanging, yet frustrating, fruit in healthcare: communication. While investment in treatment for high impact diseases like cancer or obesity is essential, solving the stubborn conundrum of accurate and effective transfer of knowledge to the patient (or her parents) remains a powerful and comprehensive way to improve healthcare. By leveraging the tools we already have –digital connectivity, smartphone access and (free) platforms like Docola — we can improve and save lives even outside the realm of fancy laboratories, drawn out IRB approval processes or expensive clinical trials. Patients are ready.
The critical ingredient, however, is acknowledgement of this problem by healthcare providers and medical executives, with a concomitant commitment to improve. Without this commitment, these tools — like an unused vaccination on a forgotten shelf — will continue to have untapped potential in impacting the lives of patients.
