title: Medical errors: understanding the parent's perspective.
abstract: Health care practitioners who advocate for full and open disclosure of medical errors often are met with opposition from legal advisors, insurance providers, hospital leadership, and colleagues. Although some progress has been made, a culture of fear around blame and retribution persists and continues to stymie the progression toward open discussion and disclosure of adverse events. The following case discussion addresses some common obstacles to disclosure of medical errors and reversals the potential for positive outcomes for patients and their families, hospital staff, and the health care system when those challenges are overcome.
authors.affiliation: The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5G 1X8. margaret.keatings@sickkids.ca
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keatings
authors.forename: Murray
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McCallum
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003397:Craniopharyngioma / Q000601:surgery*; D003422:Critical Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications