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Narrative review: do state laws make it easier to say "I'm sorry"?

McDonnell WM, Guenther E. Narrative review: do state laws make it easier to say "I'm sorry?". Ann Intern Med. 2008;149(11):811-816. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-149-11-200812020-00007

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December 17, 2008
McDonnell WM, Guenther E. Ann Intern Med. 2008;149(11):811-816.
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Multiple studies have demonstrated that patients clearly want errors to be fully disclosed, and desire that clinicians apologize for the errors. However, clinicians frequently cite fear of malpractice lawsuits as a reason to avoid apologizing for an error. This study reviewed statutes from all 50 states to determine the current legal climate regarding physician apologies. Thirty-six states have enacted apology laws. Of these, 28 states prohibit "expressions of sympathy" from being used as evidence in a malpractice suit, but "admissions of fault" (i.e., full disclosure of an error) are protected in only 8 states. Most of these laws were enacted within the past 3 years, and thus the authors were unable to determine their effect on patient–physician communication of errors. A prior study used economic modeling to forecast that full disclosure of errors, with or without legal protection, would likely lead to an overall increase in malpractice lawsuits.

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McDonnell WM, Guenther E. Narrative review: do state laws make it easier to say "I'm sorry?". Ann Intern Med. 2008;149(11):811-816. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-149-11-200812020-00007

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