Parents' Experiences of Patient Safety Incidents During Their Child's Hospitalization: A Qualitative Study

AIMS: Patient safety incidents involving hospitalized children can have significant impacts on both patients and their families. However, previous research has primarily focused on healthcare professionals' perspectives, and studies exploring parents' experiences of patient safety incidents in paediatric settings remain limited. This study aimed to identify parents' experiences of patient safety incidents during their child's hospitalization. DESIGN: Qualitative study. METHODS: Data were collected through individual interviews conducted between August 15 and December 23, 2023. Participants were seven parents who had experienced patient safety incidents while their children were hospitalized in South Korea. Data were analysed using deductive content analysis. RESULTS: Six themes were identified from parents' experiences, which were organized into three theme clusters: 'the indelible pain of patient safety incidents,' 'limitations of the pediatric healthcare system' and 'the need for an integrated management system to strengthen pediatric patient safety.' CONCLUSION: This study highlights the importance of healthcare environments that reflect the unique characteristics of paediatric patients and patient safety strategies based on parental engagement, as revealed by the experiences of parents whose children experienced patient safety incidents. Our findings underscore the need to develop and implement paediatric-centered healthcare services, as well as programs and policies aimed at creating safer care environments for hospitalized children. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND PATIENT CARE: Enhancing paediatric patient safety requires family-centered care that actively involves parents and promotes effective communication between healthcare professionals and parents. Additionally, transparent disclosure and support systems following patient safety incidents should be strengthened, and parent-engagement-based patient safety programs should be expanded in clinical practice. REPORTING METHOD: The study adheres to the Consolidated criteria for Reporting Qualitative research (COREQ) guidelines. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Parents participated as interview respondents.