Open Disclosure

Extract from article:

Learning objectives

By reading this article, you should be able to:

•Identify what open disclosure is and when it is required.

•Compare and contrast international legislative differences relating to open disclosure and protections for apologies.

•Describe a framework for conducting an open disclosure conversation.

Key points

•Open disclosure is when healthcare practitioners discuss with a patient, their family, or both an adverse event that resulted in harm to that patient while they were receiving healthcare.

•Some jurisdictions have legislation that mandates open disclosure (otherwise known as statutory duty of candour).

•Most jurisdictions have legislation that protects healthcare staff who apologise during open disclosure.

•Open disclosure is beneficial for both patients and the healthcare team, and may reduce the risk of medicolegal action by patients.

•The START acronym (‘signpost, tell, apologise, response, trust’) is a useful framework for conducting an initial disclosure meeting.