Abstract
Introduction
Dosing errors by caregivers are common and often are directly attributed to poorly
designed instructions. The purpose of this study was to assess whether instruction
wording—that is, implicit versus explicit dosage intervals—was associated with participants’
ability to describe and correctly measure a dose of a commonly prescribed liquid pediatric
prescription medication.
Methods
English-speaking women (N = 193) of child-bearing age were recruited to participate in this study from an outpatient
residency clinic in the southeastern United States. Based on a priori randomization, each participant was presented with one of two medication bottles
that were identical except for the instructions: (1) “SHAKE LIQUID WELL AND GIVE (CHILD’S
NAME) 6 ML BY MOUTH EVERY 12 HOURS” (“implicit” dosage interval),” or (2) “SHAKE LIQUID
WELL AND GIVE (CHILD’S NAME) 6 ML BY MOUTH AT 7 AM AND 7 PM” (“explicit” dosage interval).
Participants completed a structured interview to assess sociodemographic characteristics,
health literacy skills, ability to describe and demonstrate the dosage of the liquid
medication, and preferences for label format.
Results
Seventy-two participants (37.3%) were able to correctly describe how they would give
the medicine to a child during a 24-hour period, while 145 women (75.1%) were able
to correctly demonstrate how they would give one dose of the medication. Approximately
one third of participants (32.1%) were able to correctly describe and measure a dose
of the medication. Slightly more than half of participants (n = 103, 53.4%) indicated that they would prefer instructions with “explicit” dosage
intervals.
Discussion
This study suggests that few people can accurately describe how liquid medications
are to be administered, while more people can demonstrate the correct dose to be administered.
Key Words
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Biography
Lorraine S. Wallace, Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH.
Biography
Amy J. Keenum, Associate Professor, University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, Knoxville, TN.
Biography
Jennifer E. DeVoe, Associate Professor, Oregon Health and Science University, Department of Family Medicine, Portland, OR.
Biography
Shannon K. Bolon, Primary Care Medical Education Branch Chief, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Rockville, MD.
Biography
Julie S. Hansen, Graduate Research Assistant, University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville, TN.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 08, 2011
Footnotes
Conflicts of interest: None to report.
Identification
Copyright
© 2012 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
