International journal for quality in health care : journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care
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Int J Qual Health Care · Aug 2004
What makes an error unacceptable? A factorial survey on the disclosure of medical errors.
Although the importance of disclosing medical errors to patients has been argued, little is known about the relative effect of different attributes of error handling and communication on patients' judgments about errors. ⋯ The handling of errors strongly contributes to citizens' choice of actions to be taken, and they are sensitive to failures to name the incident as an 'error'. For the success of de-individualized, systems-oriented approaches to errors, communication of clear accountability to patients will be crucial.