The Impact of Cartoon Masks & Standard Masks on Doctor-Patient Communication in Pediatrics

Abstract

Background: As the COVID-19 pandemic rages rampantly worldwide, wearing masks has become necessary. However, it remains unexplored concerning the impact of different types of masks on communication between pediatricians and patients. Objective: Against this backdrop, this study aims to investigate the influence of cartoon masks and standard masks on doctor-patient communication in pediatric treatment. Research design: A randomized controlled trial was conducted in the pediatric clinic of Ruijin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University between April and August 2021. Parents were divided into cartoon mask group and standard mask group based on the masks worn by the attending doctors. A questionnaire was conducted immediately after the visit to discern the demographic variables and evaluate the effect of communication. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 23.0 and ROST CM6 Chinese Sentiment Dictionary. Results: 200 valid questionnaires are subject to the statistical analysis. Results suggest that parents are in favor of cartoon masks, which can better reflect the sincerity of pediatricians (100 vs 88, p < 0.001) and imply that they are really listening (94 vs 84, p = 0.024). Besides, cartoon masks indicate more attention is paid to children (99 vs 85, p < 0.001). It is shown that parents tend to comment more positively on pediatricians wearing cartoon masks (74.28% vs 28.57%). However, 60% of pediatricians indicate they are less likely to choose cartoon masks. Conclusion: Results show parents prefer doctors who wear cartoon masks, for it shows their sincerity and really listening, and much more attention is paid to their children’s feelings. Therefore, this study argues that cartoon masks exert a largely positive impact on the effectiveness of doctor-patient communication and thus they are highly recommended for pediatricians.