Clinicians navigating moral accountability when discussing parental behaviors in the care of the child in the hospital

The purpose of this study was to explore how moral accountability is navigated when clinicians talk about parental behaviors to support the health of the hospitalized child. We conducted a secondary data analysis of 74 conversations during daily rounds video recorded as part of a randomized controlled trial of an intervention to advance family-centered rounds in one children’s hospital. Conversations involving children under the age 18 who were cared for by a pediatric hospitalist service, pulmonary service, or hematology/oncology service were recorded. We used conversation analysis to analyze sequences in which physicians engaged in talk that had implications for parent behavior. Two phenomena were apparent in how physicians and parents navigated moral accountability. First, physicians avoided or delayed parental agency in their references to parent behaviors. Second, parents demonstrated and clinicians reassured parental competence of parents caring for their children. Physicians appeared to be oriented toward the potential moral implications of asking about parental behavior. Avoiding attributions of agency and moral accountability as well as providing reassurance for the parents’ competence may be useful for clinicians to maintain a good relationship with the parents of children in their care in the hospital setting. •Physicians avoid referencing parent behavior when discussing the child's health.•Parents demonstrate their competence in caring for their child.•Physicians at times provide reassurance of parental competence.