Ethical Standards for Disclosing a Medical Error
There is an apparent need for enhanced formal control over providers responses to medical errors, and particularly over their performance regarding error disclosure. Such efforts need to strive for clear ethical and legal vision in both disclosure intent and content. Providers should enforce the maintenance of personal and professional integrity by encouraging ethical conduct that is in the best interests of the patient, and at the same time adhere to the law despite its current ethical constraints. This review discusses the necessary disclosure components that would meet such an encompassing vision, and suggests a set of ethical standards that are specific to the context of error disclosure.
Ethical Standards for Disclosing a Medical Error
There is an apparent need for enhanced formal control over providers responses to medical errors, and particularly over their performance regarding error disclosure. Such efforts need to strive for clear ethical and legal vision in both disclosure intent and content. Providers should enforce the maintenance of personal and professional integrity by encouraging ethical conduct that is in the best interests of the patient, and at the same time adhere to the law despite its current ethical constraints. This review discusses the necessary disclosure components that would meet such an encompassing vision, and suggests a set of ethical standards that are specific to the context of error disclosure.
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