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“I Know Something Is Wrong”

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Bioethics, Public Health, and the Social Sciences for the Medical Professions

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Abstract

In this chapter, we will explore a case in which a patient died after his medical team failed to recognize and treat severe sepsis, despite repeated warnings from his wife about his deteriorating condition. At the conclusion of the case discussion, learners will be able to identify factors contributing to poor outcomes and be able to distinguish between known complications and negligence and between human error and systems error; discuss the ethical, legal, and personal impacts that medical mistakes can have on patients and providers; recognize the role and value of disclosing mistakes and begin to be prepared to disclose their own mistakes in the future; and describe common perceptions and misperceptions about medical malpractice.

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Further Reading on this Topic

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  • Berwick DM. Escape fire: designs for the future of health care. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons; 2010.

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  • Dukhanin V, Edrees HH, Connors CA, Kang E, Norvell M, Wu AW. Case: A Second Victim Support Program in Pediatrics: Successes and Challenges to Implementation. J Pediatr Nurs. 2018;pii: S0882–5963(17):30626–7.

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  • Institute for Healthcare Improvement [Internet]. Boston (MA): IHI. Available from: http://www.ihi.org.

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Acknowledgments

This case was inspired by the stories of Alyssa Hemmelgarn, Josie King, and other patients whose families have worked to create safer hospitals and health care after their deaths.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA, USA

    Kendra Harris

Authors
  1. Kendra Harris
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Correspondence to Kendra Harris .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Bioethics and Humanities and Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA

    Amy E. Caruso Brown

  2. Departments of Pediatrics and Public Health and Preventive Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA

    Travis R. Hobart

  3. Department of Interprofessionalism, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, USA

    Cynthia B. Morrow

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Harris, K. (2019). “I Know Something Is Wrong”. In: Caruso Brown, A., Hobart, T., Morrow, C. (eds) Bioethics, Public Health, and the Social Sciences for the Medical Professions. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03544-0_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03544-0_17

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-03543-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-03544-0

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