Apologies and medical error (October 2008)

Summary

Patients indicate they want and expect explanations and apologies after medical errors and physicians indicate they want to apologise. However, in practice, physicians tend to provide minimal information to patients after medical errors and infrequently offer complete apologies.

Although fears about potential litigation are the most commonly cited barrier to apologising after medical error, the author of this article, published in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, argues that the link between litigation risk and the practice of disclosure and apology is tenuous.

Other barriers might include the culture of medicine and the inherent psychological difficulties in facing one’s mistakes and apologising for them. Despite these barriers, incorporating apology into conversations between physicians and patients can address the needs of both parties and can play a role in the effective resolution of disputes related to medical error.