Patients’ experiences with communication-and-resolution programs after medical injury (November 2017)

Summary

Do patients’ and families’ experiences with communication-and-resolution programmes suggest aspects of institutional responses to injury that could better promote reconciliation after medical injuries?

This interview study of 40 patients, family members, and hospital staff in Australia found that patients have a strong need to be heard after medical injury that is often unmet. Although 18 of 30 patient and family participants (60%) reported positive experiences with communication-and-resolution programmes overall and continued to receive care at the hospital, they reported that hospitals rarely communicated information about efforts to prevent recurrences.

Opportunities are available to provide institutional responses to medical injuries that are more patient centred.