• Rebecca R Seltzer, Jessica C Raisanen, Trisha da Silva, Pamela K Donohue, Erin P Williams, Jennifer Shepard, and Renee D Boss.
• Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (RR Seltzer, PK Donohue, J Shepard, RD Boss), Baltimore, Md; Berman Institute of Bioethics (RR Seltzer, JC Raisanen, RD Boss), Baltimore, Md. Electronic address: rseltze2@jhmi.edu.
• Acad Pediatr. 2020 Apr 1; 20 (3): 333-340.

ObjectiveTo explore how medical decision-making for children with medical complexity (CMC) occurs in the context of foster care (FC).MethodsTogether with a medical FC agency, we identified 15 CMC in medical FC and recruited eligible care team members (biological and foster parents, medical FC nurses, caseworkers in medical FC/child welfare, and pediatricians) for each child. Semistructured interviews were conducted, and conventional content analysis was applied to transcripts.ResultsFifty-eight interviews were completed with 2-5 care team members/child. Serious decision-making related to surgeries and medical technology was common. Themes regarding medical decision-making for CMC in FC emerged: 1) Protocol: decision-making authority is dictated by court order and seriousness of decision, 2) Process: decision-making is dispersed among many team members, 3) Representing the child's interests: the majority of respondents stated that the foster parent represents the child's best interests, while the child welfare agency should have legal decision-making authority, and 4) Perceived barriers: serious medical decision-making authority is often given to individuals who spend little time with the child.ConclusionsMedical decisions for CMC can have uncertain risk/benefit ratios. For CMC in FC, many individuals have roles in these nuanced decisions; those with ultimate decision-making authority may have minimal interaction with the child. Pediatricians can assist by clarifying who has legal decision-making authority, facilitating team communication to promote truly informed consent, and serving as a resource to decision-makers. Further research should explore how to adapt the traditional model of shared decision-making to meet the needs of this population.Copyright © 2019 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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