Table 1 Proposals and strategies identified by the Pediatric Sound Group for the “Welcome” phase

Welcome (consensus degree 9.9)

• The waiting room should consist of two spaces, one suitable for children and one for adolescents

• Select educational material earmarked to parents and teenage patients to place in the waiting room.

• Make sure that the child is not afraid of the doctor and the environment

• Before taking care of the family, prepare for who they are and what their situation is.

• During the reception phase, smile and stand up to welcome the family. In case of new patients, you should present yourself first and explain the “rules” of the clinic

• Make sure that there are enough chairs for everyone, including the father, and games for young children

• Get into relationship gradually, without asking immediately about asthma

• Make the children understand that they should not be afraid and transform diagnostic examinations into games (e. g. Prick-test as tattoos, Spirometry as a computer game)

• Try to limit the factors that disturb the visit, such as phone calls and interruptions by colleagues, and always provide an explanation to the patient and their family on the reasons for the interruption.

• Don’t force the children to sit down but let them move freely inside the room. It could be useful in order to understand their behavior.

• Do not use technical language

• In the management of adolescents, it is advisable not to intervene with educational advice addressed to parents in the presence of the child. On the other hand, it is appropriate to share with parents the approach to the most restless children.

• Do not schedule two first visits one after the other; families that come back for control can reassure and support new families.