Effect of written and video discharge instructions on parental recall of information about analgesics in children: a pre/post-implementation study

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether written and video instructions improved the recall of how to use analgesics correctly in parents of children discharged following assessment in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: This was a prospective pre- and post-implementation study set in the EDs of a tertiary teaching hospital and an urban general hospital in the Netherlands. The participants were parents/carers of children under 12-years-old who had been assessed in and subsequently discharged from the ED. The pre-implementation phase involved 165 participants; the post-phase involved 174 participants. In the post-implementation phase, written instructions about correct analgesic use in children and a link to an online video were provided at discharge. Endpoints were measured using a questionnaire designed to ascertain participants' recall of how to use analgesics correctly and their patterns of use, completed 3-5 days following discharge of their child from the ED. Additionally, participants were asked about re-attending healthcare services and their satisfaction with and preferences for information about analgesic use. RESULTS: Recall of the correct use of analgesics was significantly higher in participants in the post-implementation phase compared to the pre-implementation phase [difference 29%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 19-39%]. In the post-implementation phase, participants represented to healthcare services less frequently (difference -6%; 95% CI -13-0%). Patterns of use of analgesics varied between the pre- and post-phases, with significantly more participants giving analgesics at home (difference 11%; 95% CI 1-20%). Participants in the post-implementation phase were significantly more (highly) satisfied about the analgesic advice they received compared to parents in the pre-implementation phase (difference -13; 95% CI -23% to -3%). Verbal (93%) or written instructions (83%) were the most popular choices for discharge instructions. CONCLUSION: In our study, we observed that the recall of the correct use of analgesics was increased in participants who had been given written instructions at discharge.

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