An Educational Video Improves Consent in Pediatric Lumbar Puncture: A Randomized Control Trial

Background: Lumbar puncture is a low-risk procedure performed on pediatric patients for a variety of indications. Parents give consent to this procedure but are often left with concerns. There are no published studies on the nature of the concerns of parents in North America and no studies examining a process to improve pediatric lumbar puncture consent. Here we identify parent concerns with lumbar puncture and determine the utility of an adjunctive educational video. Methods: Seventy-two patient-parent dyads were enrolled in a randomized control trial to receive standard consent with or without an educational video. A survey was provided to determine parent self-rated understanding of the procedure, their perception of its safety, their perception of the painfulness, and their overall comfort with their child undergoing lumbar puncture. In addition, demographic characteristics and qualitative information about parent concerns were collected. Trial registration: NCT03677219. Results: The video resulted in significantly greater parent understanding of the procedure (P = 0.015) and perception of its safety (P = 0.021) compared with controls. Parent comfort with the procedure increased after viewing the video (P = 0.002). Parents' top three concerns were pain, infection, and neurological injury. Conclusions: Parent concerns in pediatric lumbar puncture include pain, infection, and neurological injury, and viewing an educational video improved parent perception of understanding and safety compared with controls. In addition, there was reduced variability of responses in those who viewed the video. Thus a short educational video on a handheld device is an effective means to address parent concerns and standardize the process of pediatric lumbar puncture consent.