Medical error communication : policy and practice

Abstract

The issue of medical errors and patient safety has been a central concern to health systems around the world since alarming statistics relating to the frequency, harm, and costs of medical errors were published in the United States in 2000. Subsequent research has made it clear that this is a worldwide issue, with available data suggests that medical errors cause disabling injuries or death to nearly one in ten patients. In recent decades there has been a dramatic change internationally in the approach to medical errors, with a new ethic of transparency replacing the traditional customs of secrecy and denial. It is seen as important that medical errors are reported within the hospital so that opportunities for systems improvements can be identified and addressed. Clinicians are also now widely considered internationally to have an ethical, professional and legal obligation to disclose medical errors to patients. There remains, however, a large communication ‘gap’ between expected practice and what is actually being done, with research indicating that errors are often not reported within hospitals or disclosed to patients. This thesis examines a number of important research gaps concerning medical error communication, particularly regarding the disclosure of errors to patients, in Switzerland and internationally.