The power of apology

New Zealand Medical Journal

Volumn 122, Issue 1304, 2009, Pages 96-106

  Bismark, Marie M ^a  

^a Buddle Findlay   (New Zealand)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

COURAGE; DOCTOR PATIENT RELATION; EMPATHY; FORGIVENESS; HEALTH CARE; HEALTH PRACTITIONER; HONESTY; HUMAN; INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION; MEDICOLEGAL ASPECT; PATIENT CARE; PATIENT DECISION MAKING; REASSURANCE; RECOGNITION; RESPONSIBILITY; REVIEW; TRUST;

COMMUNICATION; COMPENSATION AND REDRESS; CURRICULUM; EDUCATION, MEDICAL; EMOTIONS; EMPATHY; GUILT; HUMANS; MALPRACTICE; MEDICAL ERRORS; NEW ZEALAND; PHILOSOPHY, MEDICAL; PHYSICIAN-PATIENT RELATIONS; SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY; TRUTH DISCLOSURE;

EID: 70449555561     PISSN: None     EISSN: 11758716     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Review

References (46)

1. More information on the Centre for Compassion in Healthcare is available at www.compassioninhealthcare.org/
2. Randolph, A. A family's search for truth. Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare. Nov/Dec 2006. http://www.psqh.com/novdec06/communication.html;
3. Personal correspondence with Dale Ann Micalizzi; 16 February 2009. http://www.taskforce.org/justinhope.asp
4. Landro, L. Doctor's learn to say "I'm sorry". The Wall Street Journal Online. 24 January 2007. http://www.ammermanexperience.com/newsletters/ may07/images/WSJ.pdf
5. Anderson, L. Senior Lecturer. University of Otago. Personal Communication. 20 July 2009.
6. Phipps G. Complaints need systemic response. New Zealand Doctor. 2006;Nov:23.
7. Vincent C, Young M, Phillips A. Why do people sue doctors? A study of patients and relatives taking legal action. Lancet. 1994;343:1609-1613 (Pubitemid 24194811)
8. Bismark M, Dauer E, Paterson R, Studdert D. Accountability sought by patients following adverse events from medical care: the New Zealand experience. CMAJ. 2006;175:889-894 (Pubitemid 44622844)
9. When things go wrong: responding to adverse events. A consensus statement of the Harvard Hospitals. Burlington: Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors; March 2006. www.taskforce.org/JustinHope/ respondingToAdverseEvents.pdf
10. Delbanco T, Bell SK. Guilty, afraid, and alone--struggling with medical error. N Engl J Med. 2007; 357:1682-1683 (Pubitemid 350005149)
11. Davis P, Lay-Yee R, Briant R, et al. Adverse events in New Zealand public hospitals II: preventability and clinical context. N Z Med J. 2003;116:U624. (Pubitemid 41386930)
12. Gibson R, Singh J. Wall of Silence. Washington DC: Lifeline Press; 2003.
13. Cunningham W. The immediate and long-term impact on New Zealand doctors who receive patient complaints. N Z Med J. 2004;117:U972. (Pubitemid 41519839)
14. McCoy, A. Errors in Practice. NZFP. 2007;34:12.
15. Cunningham W and Wilson H. Shame, guilt and the Medical Practitioner. 2003. NZMJ. 116:629.
16. Engel B. Making amends. Psychology Today Magazine. 2002;35:40.
17. Stevens DP. Healthcare system error: beyond apology. Qual Saf Health Care. 2008;17:234-235
18. Sorry Works! Interview with former hospital defense attorney. Glen Carbon, Illinois: Sorry Works! Coalition. www.sorryworks.net/ruddell.phtml
19. Youngson, R. Anaesthetist. Personal Communication. 16 February 2009.
20. Right 5(2). Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers Rights. http://www.hdc.org.nz/theact/theact-thecodedetail
21. Right 6(1). Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers Rights. http://www.hdc.org.nz/theact/theact-thecodedetail
22. Paterson R, van Wyk M, Candour and the code. Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 2002;June:100-101
23. Wojcieszak D, Exchange on NPSF Listserv. Newsletter. SorryWorks! Coalition; 1 December 2008. http://www.sorryworks.net/newsletter20081201.phtml
24. Kraman SS, Hamm G. Risk management: extreme honesty may be the best policy. Ann Intern Med. 1999;131:963-967 (Pubitemid 30005038)
25. Robbennolt J. Apologies and legal settlement: an empirical examination. Michigan Law Review. 2003;102:460. (Pubitemid 39224162)
26. Allan A. Apology in civil law: A psycholegal perspective. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law. 14: 5-16.
27. Research by Studdert and colleagues' alerts us to the possibility that, in the United States context, there is a risk that open disclosure may prompt more claims and complaints than are averted, even though disclosure is the ethical thing to do. Studdert DM, Mello MM, Gawande AA, et al. Disclosure of medial injury to patients: an improbable risk management strategy. Health Aff (Millwood). 2007;26:215-26.
28. Others have criticised this study, on the grounds that it pays insufficient attention to "the substantial evidence that communication and relationships between staff, patients, and family are critical". Wakefield J, Jorm C, Ryan C. 1: Health Aff (Millwood). 2007;26:903-904
29. Thomas, T. Saying Sorry. New Zealand Doctor. 23 March 2005. http://www.hdc.org.nz/publications/articles?Saying%20sorry
30. Leape, L. Error in medicine. JAMA. 1994; 272:1851-1858.
31. Van Pelt F. Peer support: healthcare professionals supporting each other after adverse medical events. Quality and Safety in Healthcare. 2008;17:249-252.
32. Phipps G. Complaints need systemic response. New Zealand Doctor November 2006;23.
33. Woods M. Healing Words: the power of apology in medicine. Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. : Joint Commission Resources; 2007.
34. Pullum G. Pete Rose and sorry statements of the third kind. 13 January 2004. http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/000327.html
35. Kellogg S. The art and power of apology. Washington Lawyer. June 2007. http://www.dcbar.org/for-lawyers/resources/publications/washington-lawyer/ june-2007/apology.cfm
36. Allan A. Functional Apologies in Law. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law. 2008. 15: 369-381.
37. Health and Disability Commissioner. Commissioner's opinion-00HDC06794. June 2001. http://www.hdc.org.nz/files/hdc/opinions/00hdc06794.pdf
38. Health and Disability Commissioner. Commissioner's opinion - 97HDC9123. May 1999. http://www.hdc.org.nz/complaints/opinions?97HDC9123
39. When things go wrong: responding to adverse events. A consensus statement of the Harvard Hospitals. Burlington: Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors; March 2006. www.taskforce.org/JustinHope/ respondingToAdverseEvents.pdf
40. Costa D. Exchange on NPSF Listserv. Newsletter. SorryWorks! Coalition. 1 December 2008. http://www.sorryworks.net/newsletter20081201.phtml
41. Phipps G. Complaints need systemic response. New Zealand Doctor November 2006;23.
42. For more information see www.acc.co.nz
43. Berlinger N. After harm: medical error and the ethics of forgiveness. Baltimore, Md.; Johns Hopkins University Press; 2005.
44. Shakespeare W. Othello. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1993.
45. Lazare A. Apology in Medical Practice: An Emerging Clinical Skill. JAMA.2006; 296: 1401-1404. (Pubitemid 44427429)
46. Lazare A. On Apology. New York: Oxford University Press; 2004.