May 23, 2003

Hospital leaders discuss patient safety topics

Commonly called "disclosure of adverse events," the practice of telling patients about medical errors or unexpected changes in their care has long been an ethical obligation of the health care community. There has been much debate recently, however, about the approach and timing of disclosure, making the subject a timely one.

A group of more than 100 hospital leaders gathered April 30 to discuss disclosure of adverse events and other important issues related to patient safety at a retreat hosted by the Office of Quality and Safety (OQS) and Voluntary Hospitals of America (VHA), a nationwide network of community-owned health care systems. The half-day retreat was the second of its kind for the hospital.

"Disclosure is a central part of an organization's approach to patient safety, and it should be a part of its culture," said Torchiana. "We should learn from lapses in patient safety instead of being afraid of them. Approaching patient disclosure correctly is an art, and this retreat is an introduction to this art."

Guest speakers included hospital leaders such as Jeanette Ives Erickson, RN, MS, senior vice president for Patient Care Services and chief nurse; David Torchiana, MD, chairman and CEO of the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization; Brit Nicholson, MD, chief medical officer for the MGH; and Joan Fitzmaurice, RN, PhD, co-director of the OQS. Other guests included William McMillan, MD, vice president of Clinical Affairs for VHA Northeast; John Reardon, JD, a malpractice lawyer for Hassan & Reardon; Stephen McPhee, MD, professor of Medicine at the University of California at San Francisco; and Geraldine Amori, PhD, a risk management consultant from Health Care Negotiation Associates.

For more information about patient safety at the MGH, call the OQS at (617) 726-9282.