A Cycle of Redemption in a Medical Error Disclosure and Apology Program

Abstract

Physicians accept that they have an ethical responsibility to disclose and apologize for medical errors; however, when physicians make a medical error, they are often not given the opportunity to disclose and apologize for the mistake. In this article, I explore how one hospital negotiated the aftermath of medical mistakes through a disclosure and apology program. Specifically, I used Burke's cycle of redemption to position the hospital's disclosure and apology program as a redemption process and explore how the hospital physicians and administrators worked through the experiences of disclosing and apologizing for medical errors.

Situating Preventive Action in a Moral and Clinical Context: A Qualitative Synthesis on Fall Prevention

“…Another aspect linked to the above is that clinical practice takes place in environments increasingly prone to errors (Benner et al, 2010; Treiber & Jones, 2010). While medical errors are part of clinical practice (Carmack, 2014), unlike in medicine, in nursing they are not normalized and tend to be punishable (Nolan & Carmack, 2015). Institutional limitations and the limitations of preventive tools pointed to in the primary studies reviewed, show that formal care providers work within imperfect systems (Benner et al, 2010).…”

Individual and Team-Based Medical Error Disclosure: Dialectical Tensions Among Health Care Providers

“…However, if apology is also a necessary element, SPs reported receiving more sincere and direct apologies in one-on-one disclosure. The importance of apology during disclosure cannot be overstated in terms of patient needs and reparation (Carmack, 2014; Gallagher et al, 2003; Weiss & Miranda, 2008). For team disclosure to be effective in practice, perhaps extra care should be taken not to lose sight of showing empathy, building rapport, and demonstrating human fallibility and relatability, all of which can be fostered through apology.…”

“…Health communication research has examined many topics related to error disclosure, such as disclosure in relation to nurse socialization (Noland & Carmack, 2014, 2015), physician negotiation after mistakes occur (Carmack, 2014), and attitudes of patients and physicians regarding disclosure (Gallagher et al, 2003). Research also has examined preferences for error disclosure, reporting, and legal action (Hobgood, Tamayo-Sarver, Elms, & Weiner, 2005) and systems and processes for disclosure (Liang, 2002).…”

Nurses' experiences of performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation in intensive care units: a qualitative study

“…Finally, we call for a cultural shift from the original perceptions of debriefing to highlight its intrinsic value that extends beyond ‘scapegoat thinking’ (cf. Carmack ).…”