A R Links1, W Callon2, C Wasserman2, J Walsh1, M C Beach2, E F Boss3. 1. Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Baltimore, MD, United States. 2. Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States. 3. Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Baltimore, MD, United States. Electronic address: erudnic2@jhmi.edu.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Unexplained medical terminology impedes clinician/parent communication. We describe jargon use in a pediatric surgical setting. METHODS: We evaluated encounters between parents of children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB; n = 64) and otolaryngologists (n = 8). Participants completed questionnaires evaluating demographics, clinical features, and parental role in decision-making via a 4-point categorical item. Two coders reviewed consultations for occurrence of clinician and parent utterance of medical jargon. Descriptive statistics established a profile of jargon use, and logistic regression evaluated associations between communication factors with jargon use. RESULTS: Unexplained medical jargon was common (mean total utterances per visit = 28.9,SD = 19.5,Range = 5-100), including SDB-specific jargon (M = 8.3,SD = 8.8), other medical terminology (M = 13.9,SD = 12) and contextual terms (M = 3.8,SD = 4). Parents used jargon a mean of 4.3 times (SD = 4.6). Clinicians used more jargon in consults where they perceived parents as having greater involvement in decision-making (OR = 3.4,p < 0.05) and when parents used more jargon (OR = 1.2,p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Jargon use in pediatric surgical consultations is common and could serve as a barrier to informed or shared parent decision-making. This study provides a foundation for further research into patterns of jargon use across surgical populations. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Results will be integrated into communication training to enhance clinician communication, foster self-awareness in language use, and create strategies to evaluate parental understanding.
OBJECTIVE: Unexplained medical terminology impedes clinician/parent communication. We describe jargon use in a pediatric surgical setting. METHODS: We evaluated encounters between parents of children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB; n = 64) and otolaryngologists (n = 8). Participants completed questionnaires evaluating demographics, clinical features, and parental role in decision-making via a 4-point categorical item. Two coders reviewed consultations for occurrence of clinician and parent utterance of medical jargon. Descriptive statistics established a profile of jargon use, and logistic regression evaluated associations between communication factors with jargon use. RESULTS: Unexplained medical jargon was common (mean total utterances per visit = 28.9,SD = 19.5,Range = 5-100), including SDB-specific jargon (M = 8.3,SD = 8.8), other medical terminology (M = 13.9,SD = 12) and contextual terms (M = 3.8,SD = 4). Parents used jargon a mean of 4.3 times (SD = 4.6). Clinicians used more jargon in consults where they perceived parents as having greater involvement in decision-making (OR = 3.4,p < 0.05) and when parents used more jargon (OR = 1.2,p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS:Jargon use in pediatric surgical consultations is common and could serve as a barrier to informed or shared parent decision-making. This study provides a foundation for further research into patterns of jargon use across surgical populations. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Results will be integrated into communication training to enhance clinician communication, foster self-awareness in language use, and create strategies to evaluate parental understanding.
Authors: Lauren E Claus; Anne R Links; Janine Amos; Heather DiCarlo; Eric Jelin; Rahul Koka; Mary Catherine Beach; Emily F Boss Journal: Pediatr Qual Saf Date: 2021-05-19