Virtual Mentor. August 2005, Volume 7, Number 08

Ethics Poll

Physician communication and error disclosure

The Ethics Poll is a snapshot of the opinions of interested readers.

How would you rate your communication with your own physician?
Excellent
Good
Okay
Poor
Very Poor

When an awkward situation arises between you and a coworker, your approach generally is to:
Ask the coworker to discuss the situation at the first possible convenient moment.
Wait to see whether the situation recurs.
Inquire from others whether they have had similar experiences with the coworker.
Ask your supervisor or the coworker's supervisor what to do about the situation.

Due to a physician or pharmacy error, you received a greater-than-intended drug dose that caused temporary discomfort but no long-term harm. Your physician describes how the error occurred and apologizes for it. As a result:
You are likely to pursue litigation against the doctor or hospital now that you have acknowledgement of the error.
Your actions are not affected one way or the other by the apology.
You appreciate the honesty, retain trust in the physician, and are unlikely to take legal action.

View results
Poll results reflect the opinions of visitors to the site who voluntarily answer the poll questions. Those visitors do not represent a random sample of Virtual Mentor readers. The viewpoints expressed on this site are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the AMA.