Ethics Newsline®

“After all these years, I cannot give you any excuse whatsoever. It is just one of those things that occurred. I have to some extent harmed you.”

– Dr. Tapas Das Gupta, a highly respected cancer surgeon of 40 years, recalling his apology to a patient from whom he mistakenly removed the wrong piece of tissue to examine. The New York Times reports that Gupta and other physicians are moving toward a practice of quick admissions of their mistakes. “By promptly disclosing medical errors and offering earnest apologies and fair compensation, they hope to restore integrity to dealings with patients, make it easier to learn from mistakes and dilute anger that often fuels lawsuits,” reports the Times. Despite some fears that such disclosure would prompt even more medical malpractice actions, “hospitals are reporting decreases in their caseloads and savings in legal costs,” the Times notes.

Source: New York Times, May 18.