When doctors at the University of Michigan hospitals started disclosing their mistakes to patients openly, malpractice lawsuits were cut in half. The biggest impediment to resolution had been requiring patients to imagine what their doctors were thinking, and having to sue to find out, rather than just allowing doctors to explain how a mistake happened. When we’re confronted with the human element, the doctor’s constraints and what she is struggling with, we’re more likely to understand and forgive.
