Consultation - Disclosure of harm following an adverse event
We're updating our statement, Disclosure of harm following an adverse event, and would like your input. This statement is intended to help doctors understand the purpose of open disclosure and guide doctors in situations where harm must be disclosed.
When harm occurs as a direct result of medical care, the patient (and/or their family/whānau) should be informed. We call this ’disclosure of harm’. Such situations require prompt follow-up by the doctor, along with honesty and transparency when informing the patient and/or their family/whānau about the harm.
Our draft statement, Disclosure of harm following an adverse event [PDF, 204 KB], is intended to help doctors understand the purpose of open disclosure, why it matters to patients and/or their family/whānau, and to guide doctors in situations that require harm to be disclosed. While the draft statement is similar to the current statement, our changes are intended to make it clearer and easier to navigate.
We invite your feedback on our draft. You can access further information about our consultation and other related information at these links:
- Consultation paper and questions: Review of our statement Disclosure of harm following an adverse event
- Updated draft statement Disclosure of harm following an adverse event [PDF, 204 KB]
- Existing December 2010 statement Disclosure of harm following an adverse event.
Your input is important to us. Please respond to the questions in the consultation paper using this online form . Alternatively, you can email your submission to consultation@mcnz.org.nz.
We look forward to receiving your feedback. The consultation closes on 22 September 2023.