Abstract
Approximately 5%-8% of U.S. children have experienced an anaphylactic reaction. Studies assessing parent knowledge regarding the usage of epinephrine autoinjectors found that over two-thirds of parents could not correctly use autoinjectors. Family caregivers need education about triggers, prevention, symptom recognition, and plans of action for anaphylactic reactions.
The overarching goal of this quality improvement project is to improve family caregiver management of food allergies in pediatric patients.
The evidence-based, practice improvement project involved the development of a 5 ½-minute video with an allergy action plan that could be accessed via quick response code as an educational material provided to caregivers. A pre-post survey design was used to evaluate caregiver knowledge and satisfaction with the video-based educational program.
Outcomes showed that caregiver knowledge significantly increased (
= .007). All caregivers (
= 10; 100%) indicated high satisfaction with the education.
The use of video-based education with an allergy action plan is a practical and sustainable way to bridge the gap of inadequate caregiver education. Leveraging the use of caregivers' smartphones to access video-based educational resources is a model that could be applied to various diseases and treatment regimens.
Nurses often struggle with time constraints to provide thorough patient education. This method may be a more efficient and effective way for nursing to provide supplemental patient education.