246 - Caregiver Perceptions, Experiences, and Preferences Regarding Patient Safety During Pediatric Hospital Admission: A Qualitative Analysis.

Monday, May 1, 2023

9:30 AM – 11:30 AM ET

Poster Number: 246
Publication Number: 246.451

Samuel Alatorre-Hinojosa, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, AB, Canada; Jena Shank, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Kathleen Chaput, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; JA Michelle Bailey, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, AB, Canada; Juliana Harris, AHS, Calgary, AB, Canada; Jennifer Thull-Freedman, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

Presenting Author(s)

Samuel Alatorre-Hinojosa, MPH (he/him/his)

Medical Student (MD '25)
Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Co-Author(s)

Jennifer Thull-Freedman, MD, MSc (she/her/hers)

Clinical Associate Professor
University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Background: Preventable adverse events are detected in 1 out of every 25 pediatric hospital admissions in Canada. While it is commonly accepted that parents know their child best, families often face significant barriers when attempting to advocate for their child’s safety in hospital. Little has been published about the perspectives of Canadian patients and families regarding their roles in supporting and contributing to safety.

Objective: This project focused on gaining a deeper understanding of the experiences, perceptions, and priorities of caregivers of children admitted to Albertan hospitals regarding their engagement with their healthcare team on issues of safety. We explored what families considered most important when thinking about their child’s safety as well as their preferences regarding how they would like to learn about safety and report safety concerns and experiences.

Design/Methods: We conducted a descriptive, qualitative thematic analysis study using semi-structured interviews to explore the depth of caregiver perceptions and experiences regarding pediatric patient safety during their hospital stay. We used purposive sampling to promote the inclusion of families who differed by experience with past hospitalizations, complexity of child disease status, family structure, cultural background, and socioeconomic status. All semi-structured interviews were conducted virtually, via Zoom, and transcribed verbatim. We analyzed all transcripts using emergent thematic analysis.

Results: A total of 25 caregiver interviews were conducted prior to reaching data saturation (Table 1). Two primary themes emerged: 1) Safety Climate, which describes elements of the in-hospital environment that contribute to both actual and perceived safety such as protective policy/procedures related to risk mitigation and safety, staff behaviors and attitudes, degree of collaboration with families and information sharing, and dignity and respect for family inclusion and experience in care, and 2) Family Safety Awareness and Integration which describes caregivers’ preference for accessible and inclusive channels and pathways to not only learn about safety but also report safety concerns and experiences. Table 2 details themes and subthemes.

Conclusion(s): This study allowed us to examine safety-related experiences, preferences, and values for caregivers of pediatric patients in hospital and allowed us to understand how patients and families would like to be included in harm reduction efforts. This knowledge will provide a foundation for codesign of improvement strategies to improve patient and family partnership in safety.