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Janis S. Mendelsohn, MD; Michael T. Quinn, PhD; Wylie L. McNabb, EdD

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1999;153:154-157.

Objectives  To describe the pediatric interview as it is conducted in different practice settings and with children ranging in age from infancy to adolescence, and to identify pediatric history-taking strategies that varied across age groups.

Participants and Methods  A self-administered survey was designed and mailed to a group of pediatricians in the Chicago metropolitan area to assess commonly used strategies in the pediatric interview across varied patient ages and settings. The pediatricians sampled varied by geographic location as well as by practice setting.

Results  Results of the survey indicated that pediatricians use common strategies for establishing rapport, calming the disruptive child, and obtaining information from the child within particular age groups, but vary these strategies as the child matures.

Conclusions  The findings substantiate the influence of the developmental stage of the child on interview strategies used by pediatricians. Implications pertaining to development of a standardized teaching curriculum for the pediatric interview are also discussed.

From the Departments of Pediatrics (Dr Mendelsohn) and Medicine (Drs Quinn and McNabb), the University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.