restorARTively

Consider the true impact of medical malpractice. How does it affect patients, caregivers, siblings, parents, etc? What is the impact on society at large? What happens when you lose trust in a doctor? Or your local hospital? Or are a provider and you lose trust in a patient? What is available to help heal the iatrogenic injured bodies and souls? How much of a burden does medical malpractice put on our social services industries? Where do clinicians go to get help? Is there a place for patients and their families to reach out? Can patients and clinicians impacted help each other? In working one on one with both parties, each will move forward. What seems more challenging is meaningful healing that brings a sense of understanding and being understood. Absent understanding to bring peace, both impacted parties are stuck in a pattern of anger, grief and denial. Each party leans on whatever they can find available to fill the void left by anger and isolation. Alcohol, prescription drugs, fo...

For the past two weeks, a discussion thread on the National Patient Safety Listserv (which has around 3000 members) focused on apologies after preventable medical errors. The igniter was a letter crafted by a British physician to the family of a deceased patient whom he acknowledged his actions harmed. The reactions to this doctor’s unusual step were extensive, varied, sometimes defensive and sometimes offensive. Among the first acknowledgements were that it was poorly written. Some argued that it was unnecessary. Others argued that this doctor did wrong by the profession by being accountable for systems’ errors. I wondered if the family had asked for this information. I wondered if it caused them more harm or if it helped them. Regardless, the doctor’s fortitude was impressive. Whether you agree or not that the physician is responsible for the patient’s death, it should be acknowledged that the individual is being a moral agent for change. Parker Palmer, a celebrated educator and...

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2009/01/babys_body_tossed_with_the_tra.html I had a long day and THEN received a call about this tragic case. I spent a good bit of the afternoon just feeling "tired from the fight". Every thing I do today is a result of the loss of James seven years ago from preventable medical error which was then quickly compounded by the infamous "wall of silence". I am fully invested in a graduate degree called "Restorative Practice". No, it has nothing to do with Dentistry. It has everything to do with caring for the relationships we build, maintain, and even lose. If you have read anything about me and my presence in the national healthcare safety discussion, you know that I am very eager to find some kind of redemption for why my newborn had to die - a civil suit, post verdict discussion with a defendant, speaking engagements, training new medical providers, and now a degree all about relationships and building community. I am ea...

At the outset of my Fall Research and Statistics in Retsortaive Practices coursework, the intelligence of my trust in the physician-defendant in my son’s case (with whom I began a unique post-verdict dialogue) came into doubt by national leaders in patient safety, as well as by a couple trusted peers and confidants. It was the first time I had ever thought to question the doctor’s “story” and his explanations of his actions and decisions that fateful October evening. Just weeks previous I shared a piece of our post-verdict reconciliation to an international audience of healthcare leaders at Harvard University (Krukenkamp & Mannix, 2008). Afterwards, a few questioned the validity of my words, my story as well as who the mysterious doc must be since I did not reveal his name. I have never revealed the name since the doctor expressed an interest in remaining a quiet supporter of my attempts to reconcile the patient – physician relationship post-adverse event. However, for those tru...

This is copywrighted material. No reproduction in whole or in part may be reprinted without express, written permission from the author. Introduction In a response to medical malpractice crisis in 2001, the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority was created through legislation as a result of these concerns there is new data to study. There are 300,000 to 400,000 “sentinel event” (an outcome of treatment that is unexpected and has left the patient preventably injured or deceased) reports in the state each year (Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority, 2007). It is widely accepted amongst stakeholders there is underreporting and misunderstanding as to what classifies as a reportable “sentinel event”. Hospital acquired infection, wrong site surgery, ventilator-induced pneumothorax are a few examples that have been identified by government agencies (Agency or Healthcare Research and Quality) as preventable and sentinel events. It appears much concern is driven by medical malpract...