Improving Parental Understanding of Medication Instructions Through a Pictogram-Based Intervention
- Conditions
- Medication Errors
- Interventions
- Other: Pictogram
- Registration Number
- NCT00537433
- Lead Sponsor
- NYU Langone Health
- Brief Summary
Liquid medication administration errors are common, and place children at risk for adverse events. Caregivers with low socioeconomic status (SES), low education and poor health literacy skills are at increased risk for errors. In this study, we seek to assess whether at-risk parents who received a plain language, pictogram-based intervention would have reduced medication dosing errors and improved medication adherence.
- Detailed Description
Evidence suggests that errors by parents and caregivers in administering medications to their children are frequent. These errors, which include inaccurate dosing as well as nonadherence to medication regimens, place children at risk for morbidity and mortality. Misdosing is prevalent, with 50% or more of pediatric caregivers either measuring an incorrect dose or reporting a dose of liquid medication given outside the recommended range. Of further concern are reports of an overall poor adherence rate of 50% for pediatric medications, with implications for treatment failure and drug resistance.
Few studies have examined strategies for decreasing medication administration errors in pediatric patients. Pictograms represent a promising approach in which simple diagrams are used to improve understanding of concepts. Pictorial-enhanced written materials have been shown to improve comprehension and adherence with medical directions, particularly for patients with low literacy.
We developed a pictogram-based intervention to decrease dosing errors and improve adherence. In this study, we sought to assess whether this intervention would reduce medication dosing errors and improve adherence in a pediatric emergency room serving at-risk families.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 251
- child 30 days through 8 years old
- child prescribed a liquid medication (short course (<14 days) daily dose medication or as needed (prn) medication)
- caregiver accompanying child to visit not primarily responsible for administering medication to the child
- caregiver not fluent in English or Spanish
- child requiring immediate medical attention
- child who typically takes medications in tablet form
- child having a visit involving a psychiatric problem or child protection issue
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Pictogram Pictogram Parents randomized to the pictogram-based intervention group receive medication counseling utilizing the pictogram-based medication instruction sheets. These sheets help to facilitate medication counseling, including teaching about dosage and adherence.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Medication Dosing Accuracy (observed and reported); Medication Adherence (reported) Assessments by phone or in-person, planned at 3-5 days for prn medications, and within 1 day of last dose of prescribed treatment time for daily dose medications.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Medication Knowledge and Related Medication Practices (dose frequency, preparation, storage, dosing instrument use) Assessments by phone or in-person, planned at 3-5 days for prn medications, and within 1 day of last dose of prescribed treatment time for daily dose medications.
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
NYU School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics
🇺🇸New York, New York, United States