The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #69080

Wendy Shields, MPH¹, Eileen M. McDonald, MS¹, Janet Serwint, MD², Barry Solomon, MD², Heather A. Jacobsen, MPH³, Nancy L. Weaver, MPH³, Eric Wheetley³, Matthew W. Kreuter, PhD, MPH³, and Andrea C. Gielen, ScD, ScM, CHES⁴. (1) Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 North Broadway, Center for Injury Research and Policy, Baltimore, MD 21205, 443-287-2838, wshields@jhsph.edu, (2) Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins Hospital, CMSC 143, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, (3) Health Communication Research Laboratory, School of Public Health, Saint Louis University, 3545 Lafayette Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63104, (4) Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, HH-750, Baltimore, MD 21205

Injuries are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity for children in the United States. The AAP recommends that pediatricians counsel parents on injury prevention. Computer tailored messaging is a process of creating individualized communication that may increase the effectiveness of patient provider communication. This paper examines the effect of a computer tailored injury risk report given to pediatricians before a routine well child visit. 143 parents of children were randomly assigned to participate in a Computer Tailored Injury Prevention Program. The intervention group completed an injury risk assessment via an on-site computer kiosk prior to their well child visit and the control group completed the same assessment by telephone four weeks later. Risks in participants’ homes were assessed for four injury areas. At the completion of their risk assessment, the Safetyland program generated a tailored report for participants as well as a one-page risk report for pediatricians. Intervention group pediatricians received the report prior to the visit, control group risk reports were placed in the child’s medical record after completion. All well child visits were audio taped, and 107 were available for analysis. The randomized study design allowed us to compare physician counseling between groups. Preliminary analysis demonstrates that pediatricians receiving the risk report before the visit more accurately counseled parents about their child’s injury risks. Final results will be presented on statistical testing between groups, and qualitative descriptions of the types of counseling provided. Computer tailoring is a promising new technology to enhance pediatric counseling about injury prevention.

Learning Objectives:

• Session participants will be able to explain the benefits of computer tailored messaging. Participants will be able to list the utilities of a tailored risk report for targeted physician counseling. Participants will be able to articulate how a tailored risk report can save pediatricians time by focusing limited clinic time on appropriate messages. Participants will recognize the feasibility of using a computer tailored program prior to a well child visit.

Keywords: Injury Prevention, Technology

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.