title: Should we tell parents when we've made an error?
abstract: One of the most difficult experiences for any doctor or nurse is when they realize that they have made a mistake that has harmed a patient. In the past, mistakes were seldom disclosed to patients. The prevailing ethos was one of professional silence, secrecy, and shame. That has begun to change. Many professional organizations in both medicine and health law recommend full disclosure of mistakes and apologies for the harm that is caused. An atmosphere of openness and honesty leads to a culture of quality and safety. In this Ethics Rounds, we analyze the complex emotional and ethical issues that arise when doctors recognize that an error has occurred.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts; Patient Safety and Quality Initiatives, Institute for Professionalism and Ethical Practice, and Department of Internal Medicine, and.
authors.forename: Sigall K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: University of Missouri at Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri; and Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Kansas City, Missouri.
authors.forename: Keith J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Ethics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Division of Critical Care Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts;
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Truog
authors.affiliation: University of Missouri at Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri; and Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Kansas City, Missouri jlantos@cmh.edu.
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Lantos
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D026690:Ethics, Clinical; D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors; D010290:Parents; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D014342:Truth Disclosure
keywords: child; consent; equipoise; ethics; meconium aspiration; research