Error disclosure is an essential activity to addressing harm and establishing trust between clinicians and patients. Trainees in pediatric specialties at one urban medical center were provided with clinical vignettes depicting an error resulting in a safety event or near-miss and surveyed about error classification and disclosure. Participants agreed with disclosing serious and minor safety events, but only 7% agreed with disclosing a near miss event. Trainees’ decisions regarding disclosure considered the type of harm, parental preferences, ethical principles, and anticipatory guidance to address the consequences of the error.

Disclosure of errors and adverse events is now endorsed by a broad array of organizations. This commentary emphasizes the need to educate trainees about disclosure in pediatric care. The author encourages clinicians to consider the perspectives of patients and families when preparing teams to disclose pediatric errors.