Sorry about that… Should Your Doctor Apologize?
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I just couldn’t resist sharing this story out of Canada. The Canadian Medical Association Journal made a bold move with its editorial, suggesting that doctors – *gasp* – apologize to patients when they make a mistake!
All right, I admit one of my first reactions was – they shouldn’t have made the mistake in the first place! Admittedly, there are mistakes that are inexcusable. Mistakes that come from being irresponsible, which should have serious consequences for the doctor.
That being said, doctors are – *gasp* – human. And there are times when they’re simply going to be wrong. Just like the rest of us.
The journal suggests:
Offering an apology with disclosure is an important component of addressing medical errors. An apology includes an acknowledgement of the event and one’s role in the event, as well as a genuine expression of regret for the patient’s predicament. An apology can have profound healing effects for all parties. For the physician, an apology can help diminish feelings of guilt and shame. For the patient, it can facilitate forgiveness and provide the basis for reconciliation.
So what are they saying? Doctors should admit they’re wrong and apologize. Now that I think about it, that sounds like good advice for all of us. Don’t doctors do that already? Shouldn’t they do it? Why even bring it up?
What do you think – has your doctor apologized to you? Would it have been a good thing?
via the Dallas Morning News: Canadians are *nice* — the Canadian medical journal argues for apologies
14 January 2009 @ 1:59 pm
Another important reason (right or wrong) to offer an apology for a mistake is to avoid being sued for malpractice. Research has shown that when doctors apologize to patients and/or loved ones for mistakes they are less likely to sue the doctor over the error. From the perspective of doctors I would have to imagine this would be a powerful factor in deciding how to handle a bad situation.
15 January 2009 @ 12:11 pm
I definitely agree with Diana’s comment. Other studies have shown that offices with midlevel practitioners such as PA’s and NP’s have far less law suits than offices where the doc practices alone. Again it all comes down to communication. Most people are willing to accept that an error can be made and if the practioner makes good effort to correct this and treats the patient appropriately then the chance of being sued is less…people sue because they are angry and feel noone cares.
Mary Kay
17 January 2009 @ 7:07 am
Thanks, Diana Lee and Mary Kay for your perspective on this. I think you’re right that it can be an important way for your doctor to actually show that she cares. The doctor/patient relationship is a challenging one, but maybe sometimes we forget that the basic rules for relationships still apply. 🙂
9 December 2010 @ 9:24 pm
Very old thread, but wanted to comment…
I think the likely reason docs are hesitant to apologize is because they are afraid of repercussions–which are often unjust. Too often healthcare professionals (and perhaps all professionals) are made to be scapegoats to protect the bigger entity. As noted in the article, docs (and nurses!) are human, and mistakes are bound to be made. There is also a tendency for peers to bring each other down for having made mistakes.
The problem about medical mistakes is so much bigger than most people realize. Permission to apologize is a great step, as it lets docs know that we understand mistakes are made, and that we need to talk about them. How else will we learn?
Another problem is that mistakes in healthcare are so rarely the result of one person’s error. The bad ones (and ‘near misses’) often involve several parties. Unfortunately, it’s often the doc that takes the fall. If various safeguards failed to protect the patient, it makes no sense to crucify any one individual. We need to step back, look at what happened, and make changes to protect future patients.
Complex issue that warrants continued discussion.