Patient Centered Education Initiatives to Improve Health Literacy and Safe Use of Medications in Outpatient Pediatric Dermatology

In this presentation, Grace Way, a pediatric resident at the University of Chicago, discussed a project aimed at improving health literacy and the safe use of medications in pediatric dermatology. The initiative focuses on addressing issues related to medication misuse, particularly with topical steroids and liquid oral medications, where children may experience errors or overdoses due to confusion with names, dosing, or application sites. The team noted that one child experiences a medication error every eight minutes, emphasizing the urgency of this issue. To combat this, they created simple, clear educational materials, including pamphlets with visual aids tailored for both patients and parents. These resources aim to clarify the proper use of topical medications and the correct administration of liquid medications. Additionally, they encourage children to engage in their healthcare discussions, mirroring techniques from successful programs like the NHS's medication passport for adults. The project is currently in the printing phase, and the team plans to gather subjective and objective feedback to assess the effectiveness of the materials in reducing medication errors. Future directions include adaptations for other specialties and ongoing improvements based on the collected input.