Dov Seidman's Posts“Say you’re sorry.”
It’s an order parents routinely give their children as a way of mending relationships damaged by a careless or thoughtless act. And centuries of experience demonstrate that the formula actually works.
Now,The New York Times reports, it’s catching on in hospitals: “Doctors Start to Say ‘I’m Sorry’ Long Before ‘See You in Court.’” It seems that even the medical profession is finding advantage by leaning into our new 21st century world:
“For decades, malpractice lawyers and insurers have counseled doctors and hospitals to ‘deny and defend.’ Many still warn clients that any admission of fault, or even expression of regret, is likely to invite litigation and imperil careers. But with providers choking on malpractice costs and consumers demanding action against medical errors, a handful of prominent academic medical centers, like Johns Hopkins and Stanford, are trying a disarming approach. 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…”
This story illustrates the benefits of something we like to talk about here — the power in an apology. What these medical institutions are realizing is that apologizing is the ultimate act of transparency, and transparency builds stronger relationships by increasing trust. It also has real business benefits. As the Times notes:
“Malpractice lawyers say that what often transforms a reasonable patient into an indignant plaintiff is less an error than its concealment, and the victim’s concern that it will happen again. Despite some projections that disclosure would prompt a flood of lawsuits, hospitals are reporting decreases in their caseloads and savings in legal costs…At the University of Michigan Health System, one of the first to experiment with full disclosure, existing claims and lawsuits dropped to 83 in August 2007 from 262 in August 2001…The number of malpractice filings against the University of Illinois has dropped by half since it started its program just over two years ago…”
The acknowledgement of errors and accepting of responsibility pays other dividends. As the University of Michigan case shows, a culture of transparency breeds an openness that brings error rates down and also improves the quality of patient care. Doctors no longer have to duck and dodge to avoid the appearance of guilt when errors occur, so they enjoy greater opportunities to explore what went wrong and devise innovative solutions to prevent future occurrences.
Simply put, it’s just good business. No one likes to apologize. But when called for, an authentic “sorry” can do wonders. And if even doctors are beginning to prescribe it, maybe the practice will catch on elsewhere.
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