• Lindsay M Gould, Terri L Byczkowski, Bema K Bonsu, Michael J Stoner, and Daniel M Cohen.
• From the Emergency Services Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland.
• Pediatr Emerg Care. 2021 Sep 1; 37 (9): 447450447-450.

ObjectivesTo determine whether the use of dry-erase boards for communicating the plan of care of children evaluated in the pediatric emergency department (PED) improves the family experience of care.MethodsDry-erase boards were mounted at eye level in patient examination rooms. The study was conducted during a 4-week period during which physicians were instructed to use the boards on alternating weeks. During the 2 intervention weeks, they were instructed to write their name and plan of care in addition to their standard verbal communication. A questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample of caregivers that measured their perceptions of physician listening skills, time spent with the physician, their understanding of the care plan, their willingness to ask questions, likelihood to recommend the PED, and overall physician care. Differences between intervention and nonintervention weeks were analyzed using adjusted multivariable modeling taking into account clustered observations within physician.ResultsSurveys were completed by 672 caregivers. There were no significant differences in reported experience of care between the intervention and nonintervention weeks. During the intervention weeks, 59% of caregivers recalled use of the dry-erase boards, whereas 10% of caregivers recalled use during nonintervention weeks. Caregivers who recalled the use of dry-erase boards were more likely to report better physician listening skills, better understanding of the plan of care, and higher overall physician ratings.ConclusionsRecommending use of dry-erase boards in pediatric emergency department rooms did not increase overall measures of experience of care, although patients who recalled dry-erase board use did report higher performance. Further study could explore how to effectively and efficiently use these boards.Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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