Journal of Nursing & Care

CHATTERBOX: Developing and Piloting an Interactive Communication Tool kit for Engaging Families with Dental Services

Abstract

Sucharita Nanjappa and Ruth Freeman

Oral health inequalities exist in Scotland and although regular dental attendance contributes to good oral health outcomes, socio-economically deprived families are less likely to attend the dentist even when dental care is provided free of cost. Communication is key to developing good relationships between health care providers and service users, which is influential in ensuring attendance. Aim: To develop a toolkit to facilitate communication between socially excluded parents and Dental Health Support Workers (DHSWs) to aid their dental attendance. Method: Discussions between public health dentists and service designers resulted in an interactive storyboarding toolkit called CHATTERBOX. Results: CHATTERBOX is made up of a timeline base, activity cards and appointment postcards. The activity cards are pictorial representations of everyday family activities and of barriers identified by parents as influencing dental attendance. Nine blank cards allow for parents to describe other concerns not already represented. Parents select relevant cards and place them on the timeline to construct a visual narrative of their day. The cards are also used to raise issues relating to dental attendance such as transportation, childcare, social support, previous dental experiences and other dental-related concerns that families may have. The DHSWs use CHATTERBOX to initiate a structured conversation around the populated timeline to identify where, when and why problems occur when attending for dental care. The timeline is photographed and used again in subsequent visits. CHATTERBOX encourages a two-way interaction by opening up dialogue between DHSWs and parents. CHATTERBOX becomes a platform for parents to reflect, identify problems, consider solutions and eventually solve their own problems. Conclusion: The discussion between players aids the development of confidence and consolidates relationships between DHSWs and families. This improved communication allows the DHSWs to tailor support according to the specific needs of the family, which further improves the family’s likelihood of attending for dental care.