A Quiet Revolution: Communicating and Resolving Patient Harm

Document Type

Book Section

Publication Date

2017

ISBN

978-3-319-44010-1

DOI

10.1007/978-3-319-44010-1_38

Abstract

Good patient care includes not only avoiding error and injury but also acting honestly and constructively should it occur. Communication and Resolution Programs (CRPs) commit the sponsoring institution to vigilant detection of error, full disclosure to patients and families, and timely redress. CRPs also seek to incorporate the perspectives of patients and family members into safety improvement activities. This chapter explains the principles underlying CRPs, traces their history, and describes current best practices for physicians, provider organizations, and the legal and regulatory environment. Transparency about error and proactive response to injury lagged other professional commitments to patient self-determination because of the emotion and politics surrounding medical malpractice. However, recent generations of physicians, patients, and policymakers have engineered a “quiet” revolution. Silence and secrecy are no longer ethically acceptable responses to medical error. Although additional research is needed on how CRPs affect safety, patient and provider satisfaction, and cost, the American College of Surgeons in 2014 declared CRPs to be, on balance, the most promising approach to medical liability reform.

First Page

649

Last Page

664

Num Pages

16

Publisher

Springer

Editor

Juan A. Sanchez, Paul Barach, Julie K. Johnson, & Jeffrey P. Jacobs

Book Title

Surgical Patient Care: Improving Safety, Quality and Value

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