THE EFFECTS OF ORAL VERSUS WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS ON PARENTS RECALL ANDSATISFACTION AFTER PEDIATRIC APPOINTMENTS

This study explored the differential effects of written versus oral in structions on parents' recall of information and satisfaction after pe diatric appointments. Ninety-six parents completed descriptive informa tion and satisfaction ratings, and four pediatricians completed rating s concerning the complexity level of the appointment. After the appoin tment, parents were randomly assigned to the Written condition (to rec eive a transcription of the pediatrician's instructions) or Oral condi tion (verbal instruction only). Parents were telephoned 5 to 7 days la ter to report their recall of instructions and satisfaction with the a ppointment. For the Oral condition parents only, more previous appoint ments with a given pediatrician were associated with greater parental satisfaction and recall of instructions, and more previous appointment s and more time spent with the pediatrician were related to fewer forg otten instructions. Parental characteristics, such as age, number of c hildren, and occupational status, were associated with satisfaction an d accurate recall. Implications of these findings are discussed.