6438 Improving the accessibility of healthcare information provided to parents on discharge from hospital: a quality improvement project

Objectives Time pressure and excessive workload can limit the quality of information doctors provide to parents on discharge from hospital, despite the importance of health literacy and parental understanding in Paediatrics.1–3 We attempted to optimise the accessibility and quality of information provided to parents in the Paediatric Department at Queen's Hospital in Romford, Essex by displaying QR code posters linking to online information leaflets for various common paediatric conditions. Methods We designed and displayed QR code posters around the Paediatric ward and Emergency Department linking to verified information leaflets about common paediatric conditions. We provided a survey to parents before and after displaying these posters to establish their satisfaction with the information provided to them on discharge, as well as their understanding of red flags and if/when to bring their child back to hospital. Results Parental satisfaction regarding information provided on discharge and understanding of if/when to bring their child back to hospital were unchanged before and after displaying our posters. There was no increase in the number of parents provided with written information, and parents did not utilise QR code links despite being visible around the department. We did find that those who were provided with written information had greater satisfaction and understanding of when to seek further medical help than those who received verbal information only. Results are shown in tables 1 and 2. 'I am satisfied with the information I received on discharge from hospital' Conclusion There was no improvement in parental satisfaction or confidence post-intervention, and no increase in the number of parents provided with written information. We found that parental satisfaction was strongly correlated with whether written information had been provided, both before and after our intervention. Displaying posters around the department was not a sufficient intervention. Many parents were not aware of these posters despite being visible in the department. Future interventions could include adding a 'tick box' on the discharge summary as to whether written information has been provided. Of interest, many quality improvement projects at Queen's Hospital involve the display of posters. We predict there may be 'poster fatigue' in the department and suggest that parents must be specifically guided to written information by healthcare staff. References Bray L, et al. ''Children's and parents' procedural knowledge levels and information-seeking behaviours when coming to hospital for a planned procedure,' Journal of Child Health Care, 2021;26(1):96–109. Campbell A. et al. 'Parents' information needs and preferences related to bronchiolitis' CMAJ Open, 2019;7(4). Ames HMR. et al. 'Parents' and informal caregivers' views and experiences of communication about routine childhood vaccination' Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2017(4).