When There's No One to Whom an Error Can Be Disclosed, How Should an Error Be Handled?

Abstract

Disclosure of harmful mistakes to patients and their families can be daunting for physicians, who tend to weigh their ethical obligations to inform against possible underlying fears of retaliation, perceived incompetence, or shame. When a patient is both incompetent and unrepresented, documentation, disclosure, and rectification of errors are particularly important to consider.