Everyone knows that doctors are not perfect. They make mistakes. Unfortunately, some of these errors can have an absolutely drastic impact on their patients. They can even be fatal.
In some sense, the best way to combat these types of errors is for industry professionals to be more open and honest about what goes on. Talking about mistakes can help people learn what not to do and avoid the same mistakes in the future. This dialogue could be helpful.
The problem is that these conversations often do not happen. Instead, doctors stay silent. They don’t ask and don’t tell. In some cases, they even try to cover up the mistakes or hide them from their peers.
Why does this happen? One doctor said that the problem is shame. They feel terrible about the mistakes. Often, they are perfectionists. They cannot stand the fact that they were not perfect, especially if it harmed someone else. They do not want to admit it, so their shame drives them to silence.
This doctor claimed that the problem of medical mistakes could never be fully solved until doctors work together to get past this shame and talk about potential errors. He said that the only other way people find out about mistakes is often when there is a fatality.
Though some doctors may disagree with this mindset, if it exists for even a percentage of them, it is incredibly dangerous. It helps to show why doctors continue to make tragic errors every year. Those who have been harmed by these mistakes must know all of the legal rights they have to seek compensation.
