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Medical Apology Strategy Shows Signs of Strength
The Massachusetts Medical Society is working with hospitals, providers, and patient safety organizations in a pilot program testing proposals that could overhaul the state's tort system of medical liability.
Your message makes absolute sense from both civility, accountability and good manners, and I am personally for disclosing adverse events to patients. However, the problem is a bit more complex for professionals working in hospitals and clinics, especially, when you introduce legalistic, financial and licensing liability issues into the equation. In certain international jurisdictions more than money might be on the block! This is where people tend to put their brakes on...naturally, and probably as part of prudent legal advice e.g. the apology comes after an investigation and the degree of error involved. If there is a strategy/guidelines that can delineate the circumstances, when a provider can be apologetic,while taking the local laws into consideration, then that will indeed be helpful to providers, so they may appear to be more compassionate. Thanks.