What the Doctor Says If Things Go Wrong

Suppose something goes wrong with your treatment – a surgical error, or the wrong medicine or dose – how likely are you to be told? Mailed surveys have been sent to physicians in the USA and Canada , and the responses analyzed and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Over 2600 physicians received one of 4 scenarios (2 medical, 2 surgical, one of each apparent to the patient, and one less apparent). Over half (56%) of the physicians said they would mention the adverse event but not the error causing it, while 42% would explicitly state that an error had occurred. For the more apparent errors, 51% would mention the error, compared with 32% who would mention the less apparent error. Medical specialists were more open – 58% would explicitly mention t he error, compared with 19% of the surgeons. Canadian physicians were more likely to admit errors than US physicians.

These findings serve to remind us that physicians (including surgeons) are not gods, but have feet of clay. The temptation to hide the true cause of an error if it’s not serious, or not an obvious error, is apparent. It can only be overcome by greater awareness that early, honest admission of an error is likely to result in improved self-esteem, a better relationship between doctor and patient, and less likelihood of a malpractice claim.