Suggestions to Parents About Common Behavior Problems in a Pediatric Primary Care Office: Five Years of Follow-Up

Abstract

This paper describes follow-up evaluations of a program offered in a pediatric primary care setting that is designed to help parents deal with common child development and management problems. The goal of the program is to provide effective intervention with brief telephone or face-to-face contacts with parents. Telephone follow-up indicated that overall the service and specific suggestions were rated highly. Suggestions for socialization problems (e.g., negative behavior, sibling/peer difficulties, personality/emotional problems) were rated as more effective than those for developmental problems (e.g., toileting, sleep, developmental delays). The results are discussed in terms of providing the most effective suggestions during short-term contacts with parents in a pediatric primary care setting. The need for more rigorous and systematic follow-up is stressed.