Disclosing Harmful Medical Errors to Patients

Disclosing harmful medical errors to patients.

From the Department of Medicine and the Department of Medical History and Ethics, University of Washington, Seattle (T.H.G.); the Melbourne Law School and the School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia (D.S.); and the University of Toronto, Toronto (W.L.). Address reprint requests to Dr. Gallagher at the Department of Medicine, University of Washington, P.O. Box ...

Disclosing harmful pathology errors to patients.

Imagine this scenario: You receive multiple stomach biopsy fragments showing diffuse surface ulceration, marked inflammation, and reactive atypia. In a small focus of 1 gastric mucosal fragment, there is a subtle, signet-ring adenocarci-noma. You notice on review of the patient's history that she has had multiple previous stomach biopsies for dyspepsia and weight loss. With a sinking feeling, y...

Disclosing medical errors: restoring client trust.

Discussing medical errors with affected clients can ultimately benefit your practice. This article provides tips on creating a protocol for resolving medical errors.

Ethical Issues Involved in Disclosing Medical Errors

MEDICAL ERRORS ARE THE FIFTH LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE United States and result in annual costs of up to $29 billion, according to estimates from the Institute of Medicine (IOM). These figures suggest that medical mistakes occur commonly in medical practice. Indeed, 95% of physicians surveyed reported witnessing a medical error, and 61% of health care professionals believe errors are a rout...

Disclosing errors to patients and parents, and apologizing.