Communicating with patients about medical errors: a review of the literature
UMass Chan Affiliations
Meyers Primary Care InstituteDocument Type
Journal ArticlePublication Date
2004-08-11Keywords
Attitude to HealthCommunication
*Decision Making
Humans
*Medical Errors
*Physician-Patient Relations
*Truth Disclosure
disclosure
Life Sciences
Medicine and Health Sciences
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
BACKGROUND: Ethical and professional guidelines recommend disclosure of medical errors to patients. The objective of this study was to review the empirical literature on disclosure of medical errors with respect to (1) the decision to disclose, (2) the process of informing the patient and family, and (3) the consequences of disclosure or nondisclosure. METHODS: We searched 4 electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Social Sciences Citations Index) and the reference lists of relevant articles for English-language studies on disclosure of medical errors. From more than 800 titles reviewed, we identified 17 articles reporting original empirical data on disclosure of medical errors to patients and families. We examined methods and results of the articles and extracted study designs, data collection procedures, populations sampled, response rates, and definitions of error. RESULTS: Available research findings suggest that patients and the public support disclosure. Physicians also indicate support for disclosure, but often do not disclose. We found insufficient empirical evidence to support conclusions about the disclosure process or its consequences. CONCLUSIONS: Empirical research on disclosure of medical errors to patients and families has been limited, and studies have focused primarily on the decision stage of disclosure. Fewer have considered the disclosure process, the consequences of disclosure, or the relationship between the two. Additional research is needed to understand how disclosure decisions are made, to provide guidance to physicians on the process, and to help all involved anticipate the consequences of disclosure.Source
Arch Intern Med. 2004 Aug 9-23;164(15):1690-7. Link to article on publisher's siteDOI
10.1001/archinte.164.15.1690Permanent Link to this Item
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/39214PubMed ID
15302641Related Resources
Link to article in PubMedae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1001/archinte.164.15.1690