Your Child and the Hospital

If your child has to go to the hospital for any reason – to get tonsils out, for example, or to get a special treatment – the hospital stay can place stress on your whole family. Worse, medical errors in hospitals can mean complications. To protect your child from errors and stress, follow these basic tips:

1. If you have a choice of hospital, opt for a hospital at which many children have the treatment or procedure your child needs. Studies show that medical errors are less likely in hospitals where many others are getting the same procedure, since staff are more experienced in that area.
   
   
2. Talk to your child about their hospital stay and allow your child to ask you or your doctor any questions about the hospital stay. If allowed, have your child pack a few special items (such as a blanket or special toy) to take to the hospital with them.
   
   
3. Make sure your child is always wearing an identification bracelet in the hospital.
   
   
4. Ask all health care workers who come into direct contact with your child whether they have washed their hands. Many parents are shy about this, but inadequate hand washing is the key manner in which infections are spread in today’s hospitals.
   
   
5. If your child will be having surgery, make sure that everyone – including the surgeon and doctor – all agree on the same process. Have the doctor or surgeon sign his or her initials on the site that he or she will be operating on during surgery. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons suggests this as a way of preventing wrong-site surgery.
   
   
6. When your child is leaving the hospital, make sure that you understand any treatment you will need to use at home. Make sure, for example, that you understand when your child can return to normal activities and what medications your child will need to take.
   
   
7. Make sure that your understand who is in charge of your child’s treatment and care and voice any concerns or questions you have. It is your right.
   
   
8. Stay with your child in the hospital and encourage other close family members and friends to visit. Your child needs support and will feel less frightened with familiar faces nearby.
   
   
9. Ask what various treatments and procedures are for. Do not assume that every procedure is necessary. If your child does have tests run, ask about the results.