Parent Preferences for Medical Error Disclosure: A Qualitative Study.

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Patient Safety
• Pediatric Healthcare

Background:

• Disclosure guidelines typically mandate reporting adverse events from medical errors.
• Parental expectations often exceed guidelines, with most desiring disclosure even for near misses.
• Protocols for involving children in disclosure discussions are not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore parental preferences regarding the disclosure of medical errors to them and their children.
• To understand parental views on including children in disclosure discussions.
• To examine how event severity influences parental disclosure preferences.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving semistructured interviews with 15 parents of hospitalized children.
• Used three hypothetical scenarios of varying severity to guide discussions.
• Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for emergent themes.

Main Results:

• Parents universally desired disclosure when harm occurred, but fewer wanted their child informed.
• For non-harmful errors, parents preferred disclosure for themselves over their children.
• Parents emphasized assessing children's readiness and acting as a buffer, especially for less severe events.

Conclusions:

• Parental expectations for disclosure are complex and nuanced, differing from broad survey findings.
• Parents prioritize reassurance and emotional readiness when considering disclosure to children.
• Parents consistently aim to buffer their children from potentially distressing information.