1 Department of Pediatrics Indiana University School of Medicine 1100 West Michigan Street lndianapolis, Indiana 46202
The papers by Kennell, et al. and by Starfield and Borkowf in this issue, and by Korsch et al. in the November 1968 issue provide documentation for the following, seemingly reasonable conclusions: (1) parents of children who have rheumatic fever demonstrate extensive confusion and many unrealistic beliefs about that disorder and its long-term prophylactic treatment; (2) resident physicians are much more likely to record their awareness of complaints related to a body system or function than to behavior problems; and (3) communication barriers between a pediatric resident and the patient parents contribute significantly to patient dissatisfaction.
The importance of these systematic examinations lies in their presentation of data about the clinician's job, a phase of the art of pediatrics not usually regarded as based on cumulative or scientific knowledge.