Disclosing a harm-causing medical error can be one of the most anguishing conversations a healthcare professional can have. In addition to fears that disclosure might lead to a lawsuit, a harm-causing error can also assault the professional’s sense of competency and adequacy. Often, the necessary conversation between healthcare professional and patient or family is avoided or conducted very poorly.
Medical Errors and Medical Narcissism examines the concept of “medical narcissism” and how error disclosure to patients and families is often compromised by the health professional’s need to preserve his or her self-esteem at the cost of honoring the patient’s right to the unvarnished truth about what has happened.
This groundbreaking book explores common psychological reactions of healthcare professionals to the commission of a serious harm-causing error and the variety of obstacles that can compromise ethically sound, truthful disclosure. Insights are offered on how talented, capable persons who feel a driving need to demonstrate their competence can fall into narcissistic traps. Guidance on disclosing errors artfully and ethically is provided through a series of step-by-step recommendations along with a list of particularly helpful words and phrases.
This book explores a variety of obstacles that can compromise ethically sound, truthful disclosures of error. It offers numerous observations on tort reform measures and on organizational strategies that can encourage a greater “moral atmosphere” in our hospitals and clinics resulting in improved, patient-centered communications. Readers will find numerous recommendations as to what words to use in disclosing errors artfully as well as ethically. But even more, this book is a sustained examination of how talented, capable persons who feel a driving need to demonstrate their competence and be respected can fall into narcissistic traps.
The “medical narcissist” lives in a world of immense stress and works maniacally hard to be well regarded by his or her colleagues and patients. When a medical error occurs, that world of competence, adequacy and ability is turned upside-down. It is no wonder that even when such persons want to do the right thing and disclose error, they might do it clumsily and make an already bad situation worse. This book offers recommendations as to how these narcissistically-based failures can be remedied such that the only narcissism that exists in health care is a healthy one that enriches the lives of patients and the professionals who care for them.