APMA News - March/April 2024 - 36

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Communicating Unexpected
Outcomes to Patients
As a practitioner, you have most likely experienced
an unexpected outcome in your care and
treatment of a patient. It does not mean you are
a bad physician. It happens even with the most
experienced physician, but it can be very distressing
for you and your patient. How can you
protect yourself from risk and maintain a healthy
physician-patient relationship in the event of an
unexpected outcome?
Start at the Beginning
First, prepare your patients for the possibility of
an unexpected outcome. At the beginning when
you're developing a treatment or surgical plan with
your patient, discuss the risks and benefits of your
plan, including the most likely complications or side
effects. Include a discussion of any risk factors that
the patient may have that might affect the success
of your plan. For example, a patient is more likely to
experience postoperative complications if they are
a smoker. With medically complex patients, discuss
the treatment challenges and the fact that they may
require treatment from a team of specialists.
Involving your patient in developing a treatment
plan is crucial in fostering a positive
physician-patient relationship and empowers the
patient to be an active participant in their treatment.
Encourage your patients to ask questions
and to let you know if they feel their treatment is
not progressing as expected.
Address Problems Quickly
Let your patient know immediately if they are
not progressing as you expect or if the outcome
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differs from the expected results. It is important
that you communicate openly and honestly with
the patient when a complication or unexpected
outcome occurs. First, it is the right thing to do
because patients are entitled to know the details
of their care. Additionally, open and honest
communication helps to maintain the physician-
patient relationship by creating a culture of
openness and trust. As an added bonus, it can
help reduce the likelihood of a lawsuit. Many
patients sue because they feel their physician
was not honest with them; they file a lawsuit to
obtain answers to their questions.
Additional Risk Reduction Tips to Use
* If a patient is not progressing as you would
expect, act immediately to determine the reason
for the lack of progression. Does more testing
need to be done? Do you need to change the
treatment plan? Do you need to refer the patient
for an additional opinion? Is the patient adhering
to the treatment plan? Lack of timely response
can result in patient injury due to treatment delay,
delayed diagnosis, or misdiagnosis.
* Do not let a patient talk you into performing
treatment or surgery that you feel is not in their
best interest. The patient's history, risk factors,
social history, work, etc., should all be taken into
consideration when considering the treatment
plan or surgery decisions. Discuss any reasonable
alternatives with the patient.
* Coordinate care for medically complex patients.
Communicate with the patient's primary care
physician, specialists, and any other health-care
APMA News - March/April 2024

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