BRIEF APPROACHES TO EDUCATING PATIENTS AND PARENTS IN PRIMARY-CARE

Purpose. Pediatricians are encouraged by the American Academy of Pedia trics and Bright Futures guidelines to use well-child care as an oppor tunity to promote learning and development, encourage positive parenti ng practices, help children acquire behavioral self-control, and enhan ce the well-being of children and their families. Such counseling can consume considerable provider time. In an era of dwindling resources f or health care, there is pressure to deliver services as efficiently a nd effectively as possible. Thus, the purpose of this article is to vi ew methods for patient and parent education that are not only effectiv e but also brief. Design. Review of 114 articles on issues relevant to patient education. Results and Conclusions. Parents appear to respond best to information that focuses on their specific area of concern. M edia, such as advertising campaigns or office posters, can be helpful for broadening parents' range of interests. In response, verbal sugges tions are effective for conveying brief, concrete information when par ents are not stressed. Written information should be added for address ing more complex issues. Modeling and role-playing appear especially u seful when confronted with problematic parenting or child behavior, Th ese approaches, if selected wisely and applied well, offer families ne eded assistance that has proven effectiveness in improving children's and families' health and well-being.