Thanking doctors improves care, research suggests
A small study in an NICU shows that even small expressions of gratitude from parents enhance care
13th March 2019
Mothers who express gratitude to doctors and nurses caring for critically ill babies could be inadvertently boosting the level of care their children receive, a small study suggests.
The Israeli researchers say this is because the interaction, even if it's just a little praise, increases communication between the care team and the parents.
The team asked 43 neonatal ICU teams to participate in training workshops with simulations of common acute care problems that can develop in vulnerable babies.
Each team had two doctors and two nurses.
The teams were randomly assigned to one of four forms of interaction with parents and colleagues:
- Mothers expressing gratitude
- Thanks from physicians
- Expressions of gratitude from both mothers and doctors
- Control group that got only