Healthcare providers failed to inform most victims of medical error in Oregon, report says

Close to one-third of Oregonians have experience with medical errors like incorrectly prescribed medication or botched surgeries, but providers often failed to adequately inform them of their errors, according to a new report.  

The Oregon Patient Safety Commission released the findings this week in a 16-page state report on medical harm in the past five years, calling it “the first comprehensive review of post-pandemic patient safety data in Oregon.”

The Oregon Legislature created the agency in 2003 with the goal of providing an advocate for patient safety while incorporating the perspectives of medical providers, insurers and consumers.

The survey found that 30% of Oregonians have reported experiencing some form of medical harm in the past few years, whether that involved their own care or “someone close to them.” Medical harm is a broad category that can encompass a wide variety of improper practices or mistakes by doctors and medical providers, which may spiral into further inaccurate treatment plans.

The findings say that victims want to be informed about errors and receive an apology promptly, but that only about one in three receive such redress. When an error results in what the commission calls “serious health consequences,” researchers found Oregonians were less likely to get an apology.

 “The combination of transparency and apology after medical harm is what patients want and expect,” said TJ Sheehy, director of programs for the Oregon Patient Safety Commission, in a statement. “And while this can be challenging in practice, other studies show that providers do want to disclose when harm has occurred.”

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Source: Oregon Capital Insider, 22 September 2025