Related Experiment Videos
Decision-making during hospitalization: parents' and children's involvement
Inger Hallström1, Gunnel Elander
1Department of Nursing/The Vardal Institute, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. inger.hallstrom@omv.lu.se
Journal of Clinical Nursing
|March 11, 2004
Summary
Children and parents were often involved in hospital decisions, but rarely made them independently. Even when dissenting, decisions were seldom revisited, impacting patient autonomy.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Healthcare
- Clinical Decision-Making
- Patient Rights
Background:
- Healthcare professionals have ethical obligations to improve patient participation.
- Enhancing patient competence is crucial for informed decision-making.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the types of decisions made during a child's hospitalization.
- To understand the processes by which these decisions were made.
Main Methods:
- Observational study over 9 weeks involving 24 children and their parents.
- 135 hours of observation analyzed in two stages.
Main Results:
- Parents were typically present during decision-making.
- Most decisions were medical and made in consultation.
- Despite protests in 83 situations, decisions were rarely reconsidered.
Conclusions:
- Children and parents were generally included in decision-making.
- Independent decision-making by children and parents was limited.
- Few decisions were reversed even with disagreement, highlighting a need to promote children's rights and autonomy in care.