Communication for patient safety in pediatric hospitalizations

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Communication
• Patient Safety
• Pediatric Healthcare

Background:

• Effective communication between healthcare professionals and families is vital for ensuring patient safety, particularly in pediatric settings.
• Understanding the perceptions of both health professionals and family companions is essential for identifying communication gaps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze how health professionals and family companions perceive communication development for enhancing patient safety during pediatric hospitalizations.
• To identify existing barriers and potential improvements in communication strategies within pediatric units.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory-descriptive study employing a qualitative approach.
• Data collected via semi-structured interviews with 44 health professionals and 94 family companions in pediatric clinical-surgical units.
• Thematic content analysis was utilized to interpret the collected data.

Main Results:

• Two primary categories emerged: "Barriers to effective communication," detailing failures and difficulties, and "Tools to improve communication," offering recommendations.
• Key findings highlight significant challenges in the communication process and suggest empowering family members as a crucial improvement strategy.

Conclusions:

• Communication barriers in pediatric hospitalizations are multifactorial, impacting patient safety.
• Implementing effective communication strategies, including enhanced family engagement, can significantly improve pediatric patient safety outcomes.