CC BY 4.0 · Journal of Child Science 2020; 10(01): e215-e220
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1721449
Original Article

Investigating the Effect of Gift-Giving on Patient's Behavior in the Pediatric Clinic of Dr. Sheikh Hospital of Mashhad

1   Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
,
2   Kidney Transplantation Complications Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
,
1   Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
,
3   Department of Community Medicine, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran
,
4   Department of Pediatrics, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
,
2   Kidney Transplantation Complications Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of gift-giving on the patient's behavior. We hypothesized that it is possible to improve the relationship between a doctor and a patient by giving the visiting patient gifts as such gesture may boost her confidence in the doctor, help built personable relationship, and thereby facilitate examination.

Materials and Methods For this study, we selected pediatric patients aged 3 to 12 years, who visited pediatric clinic of Dr. Sheikh Hospital of Mashhad. Patients were divided into two groups. One group received a gift (stickers) after examination and prescription. The criterion for evaluating patients' behavior was parental opinion, and the questionnaire was completed in two stages. The Chi-square test was used to compare the behavior of the patients, and data were analyzed by SPSS software.

Results In total, 194 people participated that included 74 boys and 120 girls. There was a significant difference at the 99% level between the control and intervention groups in the variables of stress, the desire to go to the doctor, fear reduction between visits, regular use of the drug, cooperation with the doctor, the desire for re-referral, and insistence on referring to the same physician after receiving the gift. There was also a significant difference at the 95% level between two groups in terms of the expression of physical problems by kids. However, there was no significant difference in the level of stress before the receipt of the gift, the desire and willingness to refer to the doctor before receiving the gift, and the waiting time tolerance to enter the doctor's room.

Conclusion We found that gifts motivate more appropriate behaviors in kids when referring to a doctor.



Publication History

Received: 21 July 2020

Accepted: 22 October 2020

Article published online:
02 December 2020

© 2020. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 
  • References

  • 1 Parke R. Child Psychology: A Contemporary Viewpoint. McGraw-Hill Higher Education; 2008
  • 2 Brill WA. Behavior of pediatric dental patients throughout the course of restorative dental treatment in a private pediatric dental practice. J Clin Pediatr Dent 2001; 26 (01) 55-60
  • 3 Wilson S. Management of child patient behavior: quality of care, fear and anxiety, and the child patient. Pediatr Dent 2013; 35 (02) 170-174
  • 4 Lia ÉN, Costa VP. Child Behavioral Management. Pediatric Restorative Dentistry. Springer; 2019: 13-21
  • 5 Caroly S, Kaplan H, Sadock B. Comprehensive textbook of psychiatry. Child Psychiatr 2000; 2: 25-40
  • 6 Kaplan HI, Sadock BJ, Grebb JA. Kaplan and Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry: Behavioral Sciences, Clinical Psychiatry. Williams & Wilkins Co; 2007
  • 7 Kaplan H, Sadock B. Synopsis of Psychiatry. 9th Edition.. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2003
  • 8 Robert AK, Mary E. Psychiatric examination of the infant child and adolescent. In: Kaplan H, Sadock B. eds. Comprehensive textbook of psychiatry V2. 7th ed.. Lippincott press; 2000: 2572
  • 9 Sadock B, Ruiz P. Kaplan & Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry: Behavioral Sciences. Walters Kluwer; 2015
  • 10 Pelander T, Leino-Kilpi H, Katajisto J. Quality of pediatric nursing care in Finland: children's perspective. J Nurs Care Qual 2007; 22 (02) 185-194
  • 11 Proczkowska-Björklund M, Runeson I, Gustafsson PA, Svedin CG. Communication and child behaviour associated with unwillingness to take premedication. Acta Paediatr 2008; 97 (09) 1238-1242
  • 12 Basri H, Amin S, Umiyati M, Mukhlis H, Irviani R. Learning theory of conditioning. Learning 2020; 7 (08) 2020
  • 13 Pelaez M, Monlux K. Operant conditioning methodologies to investigate infant learning. Eur J Behav Anal 2017; 18 (02) 212-241
  • 14 Graycar A, Jancsics D. Gift giving and corruption. Int J Public Adm 2017; 40 (12) 1013-1023
  • 15 Joy A. Gift giving in Hong Kong and the continuum of social ties. J Consum Res 2001; 28 (02) 239-256
  • 16 Freud S. On transformations of instinct as exemplified in anal erotism. The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, Volume XVII. Infantile Neurosis Other Works 1917; –1919 1955: 125-134
  • 17 Levin S, Wermer H. The significance of giving gifts to children in therapy. J Am Acad Child Psychiatry 1966; 5 (04) 630-652
  • 18 Smolar AI. When we give more: reflections on intangible gifts from therapist to patient. Am J Psychother 2003; 57 (03) 300-323
  • 19 Spandler H, Burman E, Goldberg B, Margison F, Amos T. A double-edged sword: understanding gifts in psychotherapy. Eur J Psychother Counsell 2000; 3 (01) 77-101
  • 20 Neamatollahi H, Tabatabaie S, Shakerimanesh F. Evaluation of the relationship between behavior of children in pediatric dental clinic and their mothers' personality. J Mashhad Dent Sch 2004; 28: 111-118
  • 21 Kos V. Material and non-material gifts from general practitioners to their patients. Acta Morphol 2016; 13 (01) 40-46
  • 22 Aminabadi NA, Vafaei A, Erfanparast L, Oskouei SG, Jamali Z. Impact of pictorial story on pain perception, situational anxiety and behavior in children: a cognitive-behavioral schema. J Clin Pediatr Dent 2011; 36 (02) 127-132
  • 23 Wright L. Indirect treatment of children through principle-oriented parent consultation. J Consult Clin Psychol 1976; 44 (01) 148
  • 24 Graziano AM, Diament DM. Parent behavioral training. An examination of the paradigm. Behav Modif 1992; 16 (01) 3-38