Recent literature on the ethics of medical error disclosure acknowledges the feelings of injustice, confusion, and grief patients and their families experience as a result of medical error. Substantially less literature acknowledges the emotional and relational discomfort of the physicians responsible or suggests a meaningful way forward. To address these concerns more fully, I propose a model of medical error disclosure that mirrors the theological and sacramental technique of confession. I use Aquinas’ description of moral acts to show that all medical errors are evil, and some accidental medical errors constitute venial sins; all sin and evil should be confessed. As Aquinas urges confession for sins, here I argue that confession is necessary to restore physicians to the community and to provide a sense of absolution. Even mistakes for which physicians are not morally culpable ought to be confessed in order to heal the physician–patient relationship and to address feelings of professional distress. This paper utilizes an Episcopal theology of confession that affirms verbal admission and responsibility-taking as freeing and relationally restoring acts, arguing that a confessional stance toward medical error both leads to better outcomes in physician–patient relationships and is more compassionate toward physicians who err.

中文翻译：

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披露医疗差错的自白方式

最近关于医疗差错披露伦理的文献承认，患者及其家人因医疗差错而感到不公正、困惑和悲伤。很少有文献承认负责医生的情绪和关系不适或提出有意义的前进方向。为了更全面地解决这些问题，我提出了一种医疗错误披露模型，该模型反映了忏悔的神学和圣礼技巧。我用阿奎那对道德行为的描述来表明，所有的医疗错误都是邪恶的，一些意外的医疗错误构成了小罪；所有的罪恶和邪恶都应该被承认。正如阿奎那敦促认罪，我在此主张认罪对于让医生重新回到社区并提供一种赦免感是必要的。即使是医生在道德上没有责任的错误也应该被承认，以治愈医患关系并解决职业痛苦的感觉。本文利用圣公会的忏悔神学，确认口头承认和承担责任是一种释放和恢复关系的行为，认为对医疗错误的忏悔立场既可以带来更好的医患关系结果，也可以对犯错的医生更有同情心。