The Ethical Health Lawyer: To Tell or Not to Tell: Disclosing Medical Error

See e.g., Hyman D. A. and Silver C. , “The Poor State of Health Care Quality in the U.S.: Is Malpractice Liability Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution?” Cornell Law Review 90 (2005): 893–993, at 930.

The woman's brain suffered severe damage due to lack of oxygen.

Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs, American Medical Association Code of Medical Ethics Current Opinions, Section 8.12, available at <http://www.ama-assn.org/apps/pf_new/pf_online?f_n=browse&doc=policyfiles/HnE/E-8.12.HTM&&s_t=&st_p=&nth=1&prev_pol=policyfiles/HnE/E-7.05.HTM&nxt_pol=policyfiles/HnE/E-8.01.HTM&nxt> (last visited September 25, 2006).

See e.g., Robbennolt J. K. , “Apologies and Legal Settlement: An Empirical Examination,” Michigan Law Review 102 (2003): 460–515, at 464.

See American Society for Anesthesiologists, Guidelines for the Ethical Practice of Anesthesiology, available at <http://www.asahq.org/publicationsAndServices/standards/10.pdf/> (last visited September 26, 2006). The Guidelines for the Ethical Practice of Anesthesiology specifically state that anesthesiologists have ethical duties to colleagues and their institution.

Baker T. , The Medical Malpractice Myth (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2005): at 110–111.

See e.g., id., at 30, 37–38.

See Robbennolt , supra note 4, at 468–469.

Id., at 475–499.

See e.g., Berlinger N. , After Harm: Medical Error and the Ethics of Forgiveness (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005): at 63–80; Robbennolt , supra note 4, at 475–499; Lazare A. , On Apology (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005): at 230–231.

See Frederick S. P. and Caudle T. , “State Malpractice Tort Laws: Section 2,” National Conference of State Legislatures, available at <http://www.ncsl.org/stand-comm/sclaw/statelaws2.htm> (last visited September 25, 2006). According to this website, as of October 21, 2005, 21 states had adopted similar provisions.

Banja J. D. , “Does Disclosure of Medical Error Violate the Medical Malpractice Insurance Cooperation Clause?” Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, available at <http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/advances/> (last visited September 25, 2006).