Objective: To examine the feasibility of using a behavioral coding system, the Five Minute Speech Sample (FMSS), to estimate the prevalence of relationship difficulties between parents and physicians in a pediatric asthma care setting.
Method: The FMSS was administered to 20 parents of children with severe, chronic asthma and to the physicians they worked with during a brief day program admission.
Results: Rates of relationship difficulties between parents and physicians ranged from 15% to 40%, comparable to those previously identified in patient-therapist relationships in psychiatric populations.
Conclusions: Although further information is needed about validity and reliability, the FMSS appears to provide clinically relevant information about the parent-physician relationship in the context of pediatric chronic illness.