When should written notification be provided?

When should written notification be provided?

The Oregon Patient Safety Commission (OPSC) strongly believes that all patients have a right to know about adverse events that affect their lives. When physicians and healthcare organizations are faced with an adverse event, OPSC recommends that disclosure be made first in the form of oral conversation, followed by written notification. Any disclosure should align with your healthcare organization’s disclosure policy.  

A physician or healthcare organization can provide written notification about an adverse event to the patient or, if the patient is incapable of receiving the information, to the patient’s next of kin (e.g., spouse, family member, or patient representative). Written notification can clarify a patient’s understanding of an event in a way that may be difficult to achieve through oral notification alone. Written notification can also ensure that information not known or addressed in oral conversations is clearly and accurately conveyed to the patient and family.

OPSC recommends that healthcare organizations disclose serious adverse event information as soon as possible after the event occurs. Organizations participating in Oregon’s Patient Safety Reporting Program (PSRP) are required to provide written notification following a serious adverse event (ORS 442.837(4). OPSC recommends that organizations strongly consider the disclosure of non-serious adverse events.