Medical errors that affect children during their hospitals stays are associated with significant deaths and costs. A string of high-profile cases over the last few years have raised parents’ concerns about care provided to their children. Many parents still shiver when they remember the case of the Quaid twins (actor Dennis Quaid’s babies), who nearly died when they were given an overdose shortly after their premature birth in 2007.

A new study suggests that the majority of parents whose children are hospitalized have concerns about medical errors. More specifically, 63% of the parents in the study felt that they need to watch over their child’s care to ensure that mistakes are not made.

In addition, parents were asked about their English proficiency. All parents who were not very comfortable communicating in English agreed that they felt the need to watch over their child’s care.

Another important factor assessed was parents’ self-efficacy in relation to interactions with the doctors. Self-efficacy refers to an “individuals’ belief in his/her capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce a desired outcome.” Parents with greater self-efficacy with doctor interactions were less likely to feel the need to watch over their child’s care. It is possible that these types of parents feel more comfortable communicating with their children’s doctor, and therefore are less concerned about medical errors.

The findings of this study suggest that new initiatives need to be developed in hospitals in order to improve parents’ comfort in their interaction with their child’s doctor, which can help temper their concern about medical errors and increase their involvement in their child’s medical care. In addition, specific programs should target parents with lower English proficiency, by providing them access to interpreters and use of visual aids.