Anticipatory Guidance
Health care providers offer anticipatory guidance to help the parents and guardians have a proper understanding of their children in matters of the development and expected growth. Health care workers provide detailed and comprehensive information about the child. Once informed, parents can better anticipate their toddlers’ emotional, physical, and psychological development (Dosman, Andrews, Gallagher, & Goulden, 2019). Additionally, the information helps parents clearly enhance and unlock their children’s developmental potential and identify any sign of disability in them in order to take necessary measures. Some of the most examples of anticipatory guidance include having the parent remind their children to always have their sunscreen on together with the bicycle helmets. Although there is little time with patients, most health workers ensure that they offer anticipatory guidance to their patients. Mainly, the advice is offered through posters in the waiting rooms and waiting bays where patients can read them waiting to see the doctor. Take away fliers and pamphlets are other methods to guide the parents in ways they can anticipate their children’s developments (Dosman, Andrews, Gallagher, & Goulden, 2019).
Anticipatory guidance is delivered through open-ended questions, active listening, developmental observation, among other methods. In order to enhance the effectiveness of delivering guidance, health care workers are encouraged to slow down their communication so that they create more time with the patients and enhance more interaction between them and the patients (Venkata, Degala, & Sivakumar, 2018). Also, the use of an informal language helps keep the patients at ease and helps them understand the concept better. The use of images has also been associated with ease or recalling the provided guidelines. Another method used to ensure patients remember the guidance given to them is by use of repeat information. It is believed that information is easily remembered if it is delivered in small portions and more effective if this information is repeated. Asking the patients to repeat the instruction has also been encouraged as it enhances recall. These techniques are referred to as show-me or teach-back techniques. Finally, clinicians are encouraged to ensure that patients feel comfortable asking questions to promote a better understanding (Venkata, Degala, & Sivakumar, 2018).
Reference
Dosman, C. F., Andrews, D., Gallagher, S., & Goulden, K. J. (2019). Anticipatory guidance for behaviour concerns: School age children. Paediatrics & child health, 24(2), e78-e87.
Venkata, N., Degala, S., & Sivakumar, N. (2018). Anticipatory Guidance for Children with Haemophilia. J Health Med Informat, 9(309), 2.