The Necessity of Disclosure of Medical Errors: Basics, Systems and Obstacles

Medical error is a common problem in societies, and medical error cases make up many criminal and legal cases. To reduce these errors and increase patient safety, strategies for identifying and managing errors have been adopted, one of which is the transparency and reporting of medical errors. This study aimed to investigate the necessity of disclosure of medical errors and its principles and obstacles.

According to the principle of non-maleficence, autonomy, beneficence, and justice, which are the basic principles of medical ethics, healthcare providers are obliged to report errors to the patient or his/her guardian. However, disclosure of medical errors by the healthcare provider is a rare occurrence, and the fear of prosecution, the fear of losing the respect between colleagues, the lack of recognition among them, etc. are obstacles to the disclosure of medical errors. Creating a right culture and environment for the healthcare provider to be able to disclose medical errors without fear or blame and establishing a system of mandatory reporting on medical errors to have a civil or criminal guarantee for non- disclosure can be an essential step in ensuring the patientchr('39')s rights and safety, improving the performance of health care organizations, and reducing medical errors.