RESEARCH - Many physicians would not disclose medical errors to patients

[Guest guest]

Many physicians would not disclose medical errors to patients

9/4/2006

By: Reuters Health

NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Sep 4 - Physicians vary widely in their

willingness to disclose medical errors, regardless of the malpractice

environment, according to a report in the August 14/28 Archives of Internal

Medicine.

" Physicians need to recognize that at present there is a sizable gap between

patients' expectations for disclosure and current clinical practice, " Dr.

H. Gallagher from University of Washington School of Medicine,

Seattle, Washington told Reuters Health. " The medical profession should

direct its gaze inward and consider what dimensions of the culture of

medicine are inhibiting transparency. "

Dr. Gallagher and colleagues surveyed 2637 physicians in the United States

and Canada about whether and how they would report medical errors to

patients in 1 of 4 scenarios depicting serious errors.

Although more than 80% of physicians regarded the error as serious and

believed the physician to be largely responsible for the error, only 65%

said they would definitely disclose the error to the patient. Twenty-nine

percent would probably disclose the error, 4% would disclose the error only

if asked by the patient, and 1% would definitely not disclose the error, the

authors report.

Fewer than half the physicians (42%) would actually use the word " error " in

their disclosure, whereas 56% would mention the adverse event but not the

error. Just over half would disclose specific information about why the

error happened.

Although attitudes about the relationship between disclosure and malpractice

independently predicted the amount of information disclosed to the patient,

the researchers note, Canadian physicians were no more likely than U.S.

physicians to report having disclosed serious errors to patients.

" The fact that U.S. and Canadian physicians' attitudes transcend country

boundaries suggests that these beliefs may relate to the norms, values, and

practices that constitute the culture of medicine, " the investigators say.

" Physicians should recognize that the field of disclosure is really in its

infancy and that rapid changes over the next 3-5 years are likely, " Dr.

Gallagher said. " Over time, our understanding of what information patients

want about bad news has improved, and medical practice has changed

dramatically. I expect a similar evolution to occur in the area of

disclosing harmful medical errors to patients. "

By Will Boggs, MD

Last Updated: 2006-09-04 9:30:07 -0400 (Reuters Health)

http://www.auntminnie.com/index.asp?Sec=sup & Sub=imc & Pag=dis & ItemId=72274 & wf=1218\

& d=1

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

[Guest guest]

Ok.. I just feel like being a smart a$$ for no other reason.. but DUH!

They needed to do a study on this?

--- In , " " <Matsumura_Clan@...>

wrote:

>

> Many physicians would not disclose medical errors to patients

>

>

> 9/4/2006

> By: Reuters Health

>

>

> NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Sep 4 - Physicians vary widely in their

> willingness to disclose medical errors, regardless of the

malpractice

> environment, according to a report in the August 14/28 Archives of

Internal

> Medicine.

>

> " Physicians need to recognize that at present there is a sizable

gap between

> patients' expectations for disclosure and current clinical

practice, " Dr.

> H. Gallagher from University of Washington School of

Medicine,

> Seattle, Washington told Reuters Health. " The medical profession

should

> direct its gaze inward and consider what dimensions of the culture

of

> medicine are inhibiting transparency. "

>

> Dr. Gallagher and colleagues surveyed 2637 physicians in the United

States

> and Canada about whether and how they would report medical errors to

> patients in 1 of 4 scenarios depicting serious errors.

>

> Although more than 80% of physicians regarded the error as serious

and

> believed the physician to be largely responsible for the error,

only 65%

> said they would definitely disclose the error to the patient.

Twenty-nine

> percent would probably disclose the error, 4% would disclose the

error only

> if asked by the patient, and 1% would definitely not disclose the

error, the

> authors report.

>

> Fewer than half the physicians (42%) would actually use the

word " error " in

> their disclosure, whereas 56% would mention the adverse event but

not the

> error. Just over half would disclose specific information about why

the

> error happened.

>

> Although attitudes about the relationship between disclosure and

malpractice

> independently predicted the amount of information disclosed to the

patient,

> the researchers note, Canadian physicians were no more likely than

U.S.

> physicians to report having disclosed serious errors to patients.

>

> " The fact that U.S. and Canadian physicians' attitudes transcend

country

> boundaries suggests that these beliefs may relate to the norms,

values, and

> practices that constitute the culture of medicine, " the

investigators say.

>

> " Physicians should recognize that the field of disclosure is really

in its

> infancy and that rapid changes over the next 3-5 years are likely, "

Dr.

> Gallagher said. " Over time, our understanding of what information

patients

> want about bad news has improved, and medical practice has changed

> dramatically. I expect a similar evolution to occur in the area of

> disclosing harmful medical errors to patients. "

>

> By Will Boggs, MD

>

> Last Updated: 2006-09-04 9:30:07 -0400 (Reuters Health)

>

>

> http://www.auntminnie.com/index.asp?

Sec=sup & Sub=imc & Pag=dis & ItemId=72274 & wf=1218 & d=1

>

>

>

> Not an MD

>

> I'll tell you where to go!

>

> Mayo Clinic in Rochester

> http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

>

> s Hopkins Medicine

> http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

>