Parent-Reported Errors and Adverse Events in Hospitalized Children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric patient safety
• Medical error reporting
• Healthcare quality improvement

Background:

• Limited data exist on patient- and family-reported medical errors in pediatrics.
• Understanding the frequency and nature of these errors is crucial for improving care.
• Families offer a unique perspective on safety incidents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency of patient safety incidents reported by parents.
• To assess the proportion of reported incidents meeting definitions of medical errors and preventable adverse events (AEs).

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study involving 471 parents of pediatric inpatients.
• Parents completed written surveys on safety incidents.
• Physician reviewers classified incidents as medical errors or other issues.

Main Results:

• 8.9% of parents reported 37 safety incidents; 62% were classified as medical errors.
• 1.8% of admissions involved medical errors that caused harm (preventable AEs).
• 57% of parent-reported errors were not found in medical records.

Conclusions:

• Parents frequently report medical errors and preventable AEs, many undocumented in charts.
• Families represent an underutilized resource for patient safety surveillance.
• Hospitals should consider integrating family reports into safety systems.