On Patient Safety: Do You Say “I’m Sorry” to Patients?

Excerpt

You have just made a mistake in the operating room. Maybe you fractured the femur during a hip replacement. Maybe you accidentally lacerated the ulnar nerve during a difficult elbow procedure. Maybe your hand slipped over the exposed spinal cord and there was a contusion. You finish the operation without further incident, but obviously the patient would have been much better off had the unplanned event not occurred. Whatever happened, it will result in a prolonged healing course (at best), perhaps even a permanent deficit. What do you say to the patient and family? Obviously, you communicate the events that occurred and how this will affect the care. But do you say, “I’m sorry”? …