Exploring Healthcare Professionals' Use of Narrative Mediation Approaches to Address Disclosure and Apology in the Aftermath of Medical Errors

Authors

  • Gerald Monk San Diego State University, Department of Counseling and School Psychology
  • Stacey Sinclair San Diego State University, Department of Counseling and School Psychology
  • Michael Nelson San Diego State University, Department of Counseling and School Psychology

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13021/G8ncetp.v3.1.2016.531

Keywords:

Narrative Mediation, Disclosure and Apology, Aftermath of Medical Error, Medical Error and disclosure

Abstract

Despite the overwhelming evidence that suggests that patients, families and health care systems benefit from offering appropriate disclosures and apologies to patients and families following the aftermath of medical errors, few health care organizations in the U.S. invest in providing systemic training in disclosure and apology. Using a narrative analysis this paper explores the cultural barriers in the United States healthcare environment that impede health care providers from engaging in restorative conversations with patients and families when things go wrong. The paper identifies a handful of programs and models that provide disclosure and apology training and argues for the unique contributions of narrative mediation to assist health care professionals to disclose adverse events to patients and families to restore trust.

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Published

2016-05-26

Issue

Section

Articles