After a prescribing error, such as digoxin dosing, which action aligns with open disclosure?

After a prescribing error, such as digoxin dosing, which action aligns with open disclosure?

• A. Publicize the error widely within the department
• B. Apology to the patient
• C. Deny responsibility for the error
• D. Ignore the incident and move on

Answer: (B)

Open disclosure after a prescribing error focuses on communicating honestly with the patient, acknowledging what happened, expressing genuine regret, and explaining what will be done next. The core action is to involve the patient directly and transparently. Apologizing to the patient is the best choice because it respects the patient’s right to know about the care they received, maintains trust, and signals accountability. An apology is not just a social nicety—it opens space for the patient to understand the event, discuss its impact, and participate in next steps. It also supports learning and safety improvements by acknowledging harm and setting the stage for monitoring, dose review, and follow-up care to prevent recurrence. other options don’t align with open disclosure. Publicizing the error within the department, while potentially useful for organizational learning, does not address the patient’s need for information and can breach confidentiality. Denying responsibility or ignoring the incident undermines trust, ignores patient harm, and misses opportunities to learn and improve safety practices. In the context of digoxin dosing, open disclosure would involve informing the patient about what happened, acknowledging any potential or actual harm, and outlining concrete steps to monitor and adjust treatment to ensure the patient’s safety.

Open disclosure after a prescribing error focuses on communicating honestly with the patient, acknowledging what happened, expressing genuine regret, and explaining what will be done next. The core action is to involve the patient directly and transparently.

Apologizing to the patient is the best choice because it respects the patient’s right to know about the care they received, maintains trust, and signals accountability. An apology is not just a social nicety—it opens space for the patient to understand the event, discuss its impact, and participate in next steps. It also supports learning and safety improvements by acknowledging harm and setting the stage for monitoring, dose review, and follow-up care to prevent recurrence.

other options don’t align with open disclosure. Publicizing the error within the department, while potentially useful for organizational learning, does not address the patient’s need for information and can breach confidentiality. Denying responsibility or ignoring the incident undermines trust, ignores patient harm, and misses opportunities to learn and improve safety practices. In the context of digoxin dosing, open disclosure would involve informing the patient about what happened, acknowledging any potential or actual harm, and outlining concrete steps to monitor and adjust treatment to ensure the patient’s safety.