More safety for patients requires confidentiality in the enquiry into medical errors
Giard, R.W.M.
Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde 147(1): 8-10
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-2162 PMID: 12564290 Document Number: 558859
Recently, a seven-month-old baby died after a cardiac intervention and a medical error was presumed. An independent committee investigated this mishap after the confidentiality of the report was guaranteed. However, because of a judicial ruling, the report had to be made public, which caused great upheaval. To improve safety, error management requires confidential investigation to ensure co-operation of all parties involved. There are two conflicting and irreconcilable aims: medical professionals want to establish what went wrong, legal professionals want to establish who is at fault. The position of investigative committees should be (legally) fortified with a guarantee of confidentiality and sound underlying principles of investigation should be delineated.