Betsy Lehman Center - With video, CARe forum models how to talk about medical harm with patients and providers (16 June 2022)

Summary

The Communication, Apology and Resolution model (CARe) offers healthcare organisations a detailed process for responding to unanticipated adverse outcomes, which includes proactively communicating with patients and families, examining and explaining what happened, avoiding recurrences by improving systems of care and, where appropriate, apologising and offering financial compensation. The model recognises that clinicians and staff will need peer support and training to effectively communicate with patients and families.

In June 2022, advocates of the CARe model held an annual forum to highlight the successes of CARe programs in Massachusetts and to look at challenges health care providers face in doing this work consistently across their organisations. This article by the Betsy Lehman Center highlights video recordings shared at the forum including:

• A family member testimonial by Jane Bugbee, whose healthy daughter, Lindsay, died of Strep A and sepsis shortly after giving birth to her third child in July 2018
• A simulation of a resolution conversation with a family
• A simulation of a conversation with provider after an adverse event.