Parents and Pamphlets: Unraveling the Mysteries of Parent Responses to Pediatric Handouts

Abstract

Written handouts are usually provided to parents at routine pediatric visits, but little is known about how parents use this written medical information. To explore this topic, handouts provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Bright Futures Initiative were analyzed and 20 parent participants were interviewed to learn about their personal experiences with pediatric well-child care (WCC) and their use of handouts distributed during WCC visits. Results of this study determined that the four responses to health promotion materials are revelation, reminder, reassurance, and rejection. First-time parents are most likely to use handouts. Handout use may increase when they are provided at the beginning of visits, when they are personalized to each family, or when providers discuss them directly with parents. Further, results suggested that handouts are largely used by parents to reinforce existing beliefs rather than challenge or change them.