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Failures in Communication – “…things we don’t know we don’t ...

I would like to address some egregious instances where communication of important facts simply never occurred, resulting in the potential for, or actual, catastrophic consequences. A while back I assu

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Patient Safety at the End of Life – The Importance of “That”...

Last month I began the story of end of life discussions and the importance of setting the stage for these conversations before they become urgent matters at hand. I presented the story of an elderly f

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8. The “Transition Confusion” – A dance sensation that is sw...

Transitions in care represent potential weak links that couple together the complex array of care options that patients may encounter as they traverse the modern healthcare system. Errors in communica

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7. "What I believe matters a lot"

When clinicians talk with patients we bring our compassion and knowledge to the table. Patients, our partners in achieving outcomes, bring their knowledge, their apprehensions, their belief systems an

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“Culture of Candour” trumps “Duty of Candour”

The Government of England recently passed legislation requiring institutions to inform patients, and/or other appropriate parties, of instances where patients have been harmed as a result of “errors”.

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Informed Consent, Patient Safety and Navigating Stormy Seas

“Doctor, what would you do if Sally were your child?” Hospitals are dangerous, encumbered by system inefficiencies and human factors affecting performance. Despite all the hazards in the hospitals we

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