Pill-swallowing training in pediatric psychology practice

What is it about?

This article highlights the importance of pill-swallowing skills for pediatric patients and outlines a pill-swallowing training intervention that aims to help pediatric patients learn to swallow pills effectively. The intervention protocol involves training sessions that follow a structured procedure outlined in detail in the article. The procedure includes steps such as modeling the pill-swallowing technique, gradually increasing the size of the pill, and providing positive reinforcement for successfully swallowing the pill. This pill-swallowing training intervention can be clinically useful as results show it has a high success rate and is time efficient. The article also discusses challenges encountered during the training sessions (e.g., patient fear and resistance), strategies for managing these challenges, and real-world examples of the implementation and impact of the intervention.

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Photo by Roberto Sorin on Unsplash

Photo by Roberto Sorin on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Difficulty swallowing pills is a common issue faced by pediatric patients and can lead to negative consequences, such as a delayed hospital discharge and anxiety for the patient and their family. The current article provides a detailed description of a time efficient and effective pill-swallowing intervention that could be a valuable tool for healthcare providers if implemented in clinical settings to support patients who are having difficulty swallowing medications. Addressing challenges regarding pill-swallowing can ensure effective and time efficient treatment that can lower health care costs, reduce stress, improve access to necessary medications, and promote medication adherence. Special thanks to the Division 54 Adherence and Self-Management SIG trainee member, Veronika Durek, for her contributions to this Kudos post!