The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) has released the latest episode of its Taking Care podcast – Openness and candour; a road to a true culture of safety – covering the need for honesty between health practitioners, their patients, and patients’ families.
In this episode, host Tash Miles speaks with Sue Sheridan, Patients for Patient Safety US network founding member; Peter Walsh, UK charity Action Against Medical Accidents CEO; and Michael Gorton AM, Australian health lawyer.
The guests discuss what openness can achieve, and how to create environments where it is acceptable to acknowledge shortcomings to seek and provide answers for patients, and their families, to avoid further harm.
Ms Sheridan approached the topic with her personal experience struggling for answers with the US healthcare system. She describes a true culture of safety as one that “engages the perspectives of patients and families – that we are engaged in reporting bad outcomes and the healthcare system has a system or mechanism to capture our stories, to capture our experiences, and we are also treated with dignity.”
Having assumed the role of Chair of an Expert Working Group on a Statutory Duty of Candour in Victoria, Mr Gorton said the podcast “will give health services permission to be more open and candid with patients when things go wrong – and to discuss with them what will happen next”.
Visit: www.ahpra.gov.au/Publications/Podcasts.aspx.
Some listeners may find the episode distressing. For support visit drs4drs.com.au or contact Lifeline on (AUS) 131 114.
