About the workshop

1. Highlights the importance of recognising patient expectations when an adverse come occurs and how failing to address these expectations can increase the risk of a patient turning to legal or disciplinary processes of answers and to hold a doctor accountable.
2. Provides a thorough grounding on key issues including exploring the basic ethical, regulatory and legal obligations of doctors in their discussion with patients following adverse outcome.
3. Examines how resistance to professionally managing an adverse outcome may translate into higher risk for the patient and/or the doctor
4. The MPS A.S.S.I.S.T Model:

• Helps doctors remain focused on the patient’s experience
• Provides a framework for key communication tasks to be undertaken
• Facilitates a discussion on possible solutions and future care

Learning Objectives

• To define adverse outcomes, explore current doctors’ attitudes to them and examine research revealing patient motivation to complain or claim
• To explore the basic ethical and legal obligations on a doctor when discussing adverse outcomes with patients and their carers
• To understand the issues and skills around effectively communicating regret and empathy with the patient’s situation
• To explore personal and cultural barriers to discussing adverse outcomes
• To understand common patient expectations following an adverse outcome
• To learn a practical model for communicating with patients following an adverse outcome
• To rehearse important skills that can assist in meeting patient expectations and reducing the risk of complaint or claim following an adverse outcome