Massachusetts' Disclosure Education for the Public & Sorry Works!

Recently, Sorry Works! launched the campaign to educate patients and families about disclosure and apology after medical errors. We believe it is incredibly important to teach consumers about disclosure, and what disclosure can mean for them after a potential medical error. In our campaign effort, we provide a number of resources, including a new book entitled, "Did the Doctor Make a Mistake?" which is available both in hard copy and e-book formats. We hope that hospitals and insurers will participate in this campaign, and do more outreach with consumers. A great example of consumer outreach can be found in Massachusetts. As many of you know, several major Massachusetts hospitals and insurers joined arms last year with the hospital association, medical association, and bar association to make disclosure the norm in the Bay State. Truly a comprehensive effort involving all stakeholders. Part of Massachusetts' push for disclosure includes an educational website for patients and families.

The Sorry Works! educational campaign for patients and families, and the Massachusetts educational website are now linked. We hope this campaign and educational effort will serve as a model or template for others around the country, and lead to more educational efforts focused on teaching patients and families about disclosure and apology.