Disclosing medical errors to patients: effects of nonverbal involvement

Patient Education and Counseling
Annegret F Hannawa

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test causal effects of physicians' nonverbal involvement on medical error disclosure outcomes. 216 hospital outpatients were randomly assigned to two experimental treatment groups. The first group watched a video vignette of a verbally effective and nonverbally involved error disclosure. The second group was exposed to a verbally effective but nonverbally uninvolved error disclosure. All patients responded to seven outcome measures. Patients in the nonverbally uninvolved error disclosure treatment group perceived the physician's apology as less sincere and remorseful compared to patients in the involved disclosure group. They also rated the implications of the error as more severe, were more likely to ascribe fault to the physician, and indicated a higher intent to change doctors after the disclosure. The results of this study imply that nonverbal involvement during medical error disclosures facilitates more accurate patient understanding and assessment of the medical error and its consequences on their health and quality of life. In the context of disclosing medical errors, nonverbal involvement increases the likelihood that physicians will be able to continue caring for their patient. Thus, pr...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jun 26, 2013·Patient Education and Counseling·Annegret F HannawaJoanne V Ramsey
Mar 30, 2016·La Presse médicale·Stéphanie Prud'hommeLeila Moret
Feb 19, 2014·Patient Education and Counseling·Rita Gorawara-Bhat
Jan 30, 2015·Patient Education and Counseling·Daniela LeoneDebra L Roter
Nov 21, 2014·Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz·David L B Schwappach
May 10, 2016·Atencion primaria·Francisco Javier Valverde BolívarMiguel Delgado Rodríguez
Nov 30, 2019·BMC Health Services Research·Sonia LippkeAnnegret Hannawa
Oct 14, 2020·Health Communication·B J MyrenP L M Zusterzeel
Jan 17, 2021·Journal of Gynecology Obstetrics and Human Reproduction·Claire SzmulewiczPerrine Capmas
Dec 8, 2020·Patient Education and Counseling·Lauris Christopher Kaldjian
Jul 4, 2017·Journal of Patient Safety·Darlene WelshMandy Jones

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