At the May 2006 IHI IMPACT Leadership meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, Lucian L. Leape, MD, Adjunct Professor of Health Policy in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard School of Public Health, presented a compelling case on the importance of apologizing to a patient when an error has occurred during his or her care. He argues that an apology helps begin the healing process for both patient and the caregiver, and that there is no direct correlation between those who apologize and the increased likelihood that a patient will sue due to the admittance of an error.  

This presentation coincides with the Harvard-affiliated consensus paper, When Things Go Wrong: Responding to Adverse Drug Events, that proposes a full disclosure when adverse events or medical errors occur, including an apology to the patient.