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Patient advocates: Apologizing for mistakes promotes better care

Quality Improvement Monitor, August 24, 2007

Leading patient safety organizations are calling for fuller disclosure of medical errors and some trend-setting hospitals have decided an "honesty is best" policy promote better care, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Advocates say acknowledging mistakes can improve healing by defusing patients' anger and easing physicians' guilt, particularly if they apologize, the Tribune said. Some also argue that an apology can reduce malpractice lawsuits, though others say it's too early to tell.

The Joint Commission (formerly known as JCAHO) and the National Quality Forum both recommend all hospitals disclose serious errors.

The Veterans Administration and hospitals affiliated with Harvard Medical School have taken it one step further, urging doctors to tell patients about errors, apologize and explain how they plan to prevent similar mistakes, the paper said.

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