Disclosure of Harm

About the standard

The Disclosure of Harm (proposed new title: Disclosure of Unexpected Outcomes) standard was published in 2010 and requires review to expand for inclusion of a broader scope of harm. With a continued emphasis on patient care, changes to this standard emphasize the requirement of regulated members to disclose harmful events and when disclosure of near-miss events should be considered.

What’s changed?

• Inclusion of clauses to provide regulated members with parameters regarding harmful event disclosure and consideration of disclosing near-miss events;
• Additional details around to whom, when and how disclosure must be made in various solo and team-based scenarios with a continued emphasis on prioritizing patient care; and
• Additional clauses concerning proper documentation and patient record-keeping processes.
• Addition of a clause to help regulated members navigate when an apology to those affected should be considered, recognizing that in accordance with the Alberta Evidence Act, an apology does not constitute an admission of fault or liability and recognizing that the likelihood of complaints or legal action is significantly reduced when patients receive heartfelt acknowledgement of an adverse/harmful event or unexpected outcome.