Doctors Eye Apologies for Medical Mistakes
A reader brings this story to my attention. I have written before that there is a disconnect between patients’ and physicians’ expectations when it comes to medical error:
Patients wanted disclosure of all harmful errors and sought information about what happened, why the error happened, how the error’s consequences will be mitigated, and how recurrences will be prevented . . .Although physicians disclosed the adverse event, they often avoided stating that an error occurred, why the error happened, or how recurrences would be prevented . . .
There is some data from small studies that full disclosure of medical errors reduces the risk of punitive action. Mistakes in medicine unfortunately happen – physicians are only human. Communication, and apologies when necessary, are key when it comes to bridging the “medical error disconnect” between physicians and patients.
Related posts:
- The NY Times on saying sorry
- Does sorry really work?
- Poll: Should doctors apologize after a medical error?
- Full disclosure and bias
- Medical errors: Impact on physicians
- Doctors suffer too when they make medical mistakes
- Is health IT being rushed, leading to patient errors?
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I’m not sure what would be scarier: Hearing a doctor say, “Sorry” after a procedure or “Oops” during one.
I’ve actually been in the latter situation while in an emergency room. My eyes were covered and my lip was numb with Novocain, so when I heard the physician say “Oops’ I communicated the only way I could: by tensing and spreading out my fingers. Fortunately, he only said that because he missed the eye of the needle while threading stitches.
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