title: The not-so-simple truth.
abstract: Acknowledging to a patient or his family that an error occurred during treatment is one of the hardest things a physician or hospital executive will ever have to do. But doing so promptly, truthfully and with a sincere "I'm sorry" is the right thing, experts say, and, in the process, may diffuse anger and allow for a fair financial settlement.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huff
mesh_terms: D015285:Hospital-Patient Relations; D006801:Humans; D016365:Liability, Legal; D008318:Malpractice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D019221:Mandatory Reporting; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D008824:Michigan; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D012308:Risk Management; D035502:Trust; D014342:Truth Disclosure; D014481:United States