What do patients and families observe about pediatric safety?: A thematic analysis of real-time narratives

Abstract

Objectives

Data on inpatient safety are documented by hospital staff through incident reporting (IR) systems. Safety observations from families or patients are rarely captured. The Family Input for Quality and Safety (FIQS) study created a mobile health tool for pediatric patients and their families to anonymously report safety observations in real time during hospitalization. The study objectives were to describe these observations and identify domains salient to safety.

Methods

In this observational study, we analyzed pediatric patient safety reports from June 2017 to April 2018. Participants were: English-speaking family members and hospitalized patients ≥13 years old. The analysis had two stages: (1) assessment of whether narratives met established safety event criteria and whether there were companion IRs; (2) thematic analysis to identify domains.

Results

Of 248 enrolled participants, 58 submitted 120 narrative reports. Of the narratives, 68 (57%) met safety event criteria, while only 1 (0.8%) corresponded to a staff-reported IR. Twenty-five percent of narratives shared positive feedback about patient safety efforts; 75% shared constructive feedback. We identified domains particularly salient to safety: (1) patients and families as safety actors; (2) emotional safety; (3) system-centered care; and (4) shared safety domains, including medication, communication, and environment of care. Some domains capture data that is otherwise difficult to obtain (#1–3), while others fit within standard healthcare safety domains (#4).

Conclusions

Patients and families observe and report salient safety events that can fill gaps in IR data. Healthcare leaders should consider incorporating patient and family observations—collected with an option for anonymity and eliciting both positive and constructive comments.