Are parents who feel the need to watch over their children's care better patient safety partners?
Many institutions are encouraging patient and family engagement in safety initiatives. Prior research has shown that allowing parents to report safety concerns may help identify errors. In this study, investigators surveyed 170 parents at the time of their child's admission to the hospital to determine their desire to watch over the care provided. At discharge, parents were surveyed about medications and hand hygiene. They found that parents who wanted to watch over their child were more likely to question providers about medication use. The authors suggest that there may be additional opportunities for engaging such parents to improve safety. A past PSNet perspective discussed patient engagement and patient safety.