Parent Handouts
I. DEFINITION
Mothers and fathers often want or need more information on a specific topic than they can reasonably receive or absorb during an office visit or on the telephone. Parent handouts meet this need by providing a great deal of information on specific topics of interest or concern to many mothers and fathers. These handouts take the form of single- or double-sided loose-leaf pages, and each one addresses a single topic related to the health, development, and care of a child. When they enroll in Healthy StepsSM, or leave the hospital, or have an office or home visit, the family will be offered relevant handouts on a variety of medical, developmental, and practical topics. Handouts include practical suggestions for new mothers and fathers, clear answers to common questions about child health and development, guidelines about when to call the physician/pediatric nurse practitioner, and references to popular child care books for more information.
Objectives:
2. Distribution: Upon enrollment, the family may receive relevant handouts pertaining to their newborn in the Welcome to the Practice book. Healthy Steps staff will also distribute handouts to mothers and fathers during office and home visits to provide additional information on a specific topic and/or reinforce a "teachable moment." Handouts will also be mailed to mothers and fathers as a follow-up to information provided on the Child Development Telephone Information Line.
C. Documentation for Implementation: The Healthy Steps file maintained for each family should show which handouts they received, when, and from whom.
IV. MEASURES FOR THE PARENT HANDOUTS (PARTIAL LIST)