• Jori F Bogetz, Amy Trowbridge, Hannah Lewis, Kelly J Shipman, Danielle Jonas, Julie Hauer, and Abby R Rosenberg.
• Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Palliative Care and Resilience Lab, Center for Clinical and Translational Research; Seattle Children's Hospital and Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA. Electronic address: jori.bogetz@seattlechildrens.org.
• J Pain Symptom Manage. 2021 Dec 1; 62 (6): 111711251117-1125.

ContextParents of children with severe neurologic impairment (SNI) often face high-stakes medical decisions when their child is hospitalized. These decisions involve technology and/or surgery, goals of care and/or advance care planning, or transitions of care.ObjectivesThis study describes the experiences of parents of children with SNI during decision-making.MethodsEligible participants were parents facing a decision for a child with SNI admitted to acute or intensive care units at a single tertiary pediatric center. Parents completed 1:1 semi-structured interviews and brief surveys between August 2019 and February 2020. Demographic information was extracted from the child's electronic health record. A team of palliative and complex care researchers with expertise in qualitative methods used thematic content analysis to formulate results.Results25 parents participated. The majority had children with congenital/chromosomal SNI conditions (n = 13, 65%), >5 subspecialists (n = 14, 61%), and chronic technology assistance (n = 25, 100%). 68% (n = 17) were mothers and 100% identified as being their child's primary decision-maker. Responses from parents included 3 major themes: 1) our roles and actions; 2) our stresses and challenges; and 3) our meaning and purpose. Responses highlighted the pervasiveness of parental decision-making efforts and parents' advocacy and vigilance regarding their child's needs. Despite this, parents often felt unheard and undervalued in the hospital.ConclusionDuring hospitalizations, when parents of children with SNI often face high-stakes medical decisions, interventions are needed to support parents and ensure they feel heard and valued as they navigate their child's medical needs and system challenges.Copyright © 2021 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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