Trial reportPloS one2013
A randomized controlled trial of storytelling as a communication tool.
Trial report in PloS one, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 40 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effectiveness of safety-netting approaches for acutely ill children: a network meta-analysis.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2025Pooled it
- Enhancing parental health knowledge through digital knowledge mobilisation tools: a randomised controlled trial and qualitative study.BMJ paediatrics open · 2026Trial
- A Virtual Living Lab Platform Codeveloped for Mental Health in Youth-Onset Type 2 Diabetes (BrightSpark Care Lab): Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- Stories that bridge us: A mixed methods study to understand the impact of a hospital-wide storytelling event.PloS one · 2025Article
- Engaging Red River Métis families in Manitoba in the development of child health resources - findings from a qualitative study.Research involvement and engagement · 2024Article
- Hollman Facilitations: A user-friendly tool of supporting children with visual impairment and their families in daily life.MethodsX · 2024Article
- We're here too: child health information-seeking experiences and preferences of Red River Métis families - a qualitative study.International journal for equity in health · 2023Article
- Bridging evidence-to-care gaps with mHealth: Designing a symptom checker for parents accessing knowledge translation resources on acute children's illnesses in a smartphone application.PEC innovation · 2023Article
- Web-Based Knowledge Translation Tool About Pediatric Acute Gastroenteritis for Parents: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR formative research · 2023Article
- Cultural Adaptation of Digital Knowledge Translation Tools for Acute Otitis Media in Low- to Middle-Income Countries: Mixed Methods Usability Study.JMIR formative research · 2021Article
- Article
- Procedural pain in children: a qualitative study of caregiver experiences and information needs.BMC pediatrics · 2018Article
- Evaluation of a Storybook Resource for Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.The Journal of perinatal education · 2018Article
- Developing "My Asthma Diary": a process exemplar of a patient-driven arts-based knowledge translation tool.BMC pediatrics · 2018Article
- Development and Usability Evaluation of an Art and Narrative-Based Knowledge Translation Tool for Parents With a Child With Pediatric Chronic Pain: Multi-Method Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
introductionStories may be an effective tool to communicate with patients because of their ability to engage the reader. Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of story booklets compared to standard information sheets for parents of children attending the emergency department (ED) with a child with croup.
methodsParents were randomized to receive story booklets (n=208) or standard information sheets (n=205) during their ED visit. The primary outcome was change in anxiety between triage to ED discharge as measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Follow-up telephone interviews were conducted at 1 and 3 days after discharge, then every other day until 9 days (or until resolution of symptoms), and at 1 year. Secondary outcomes included: expected future anxiety, event impact, parental knowledge, satisfaction, decision regret, healthcare utilization, time to symptom resolution.
resultsThere was no significant difference in the primary outcome of change in parental anxiety between recruitment and ED discharge (change of 5 points for the story group vs. 6 points for the comparison group, p=0.78). The story group showed significantly greater decision regret regarding their decision to go to the ED (p<0.001): 6.7% of the story group vs. 1.5% of the comparison group strongly disagreed with the statement "I would go for the same choice if I had to do it over again". The story group reported shorter time to resolution of symptoms (mean 3.7 days story group vs. 4.0 days comparison group, median 3 days both groups; log rank test, p=0.04). No other outcomes were different between study groups.
conclusionsStories about parent experiences managing a child with croup did not reduce parental anxiety. The story group showed significantly greater decision regret and quicker time to resolution of symptoms. Further research is needed to better understand whether stories can be effective in improving patient-important outcomes.
trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials, ISRCTN39642997 (http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN39642997).
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.