Applying lessons from social psychology to transform the culture of error disclosure

The ability to carry out prompt and effective error disclosure has been described in the literature as an essential skill among physicians that can lead to improved patient satisfaction, staff well-being and hospital outcomes. However, few studies have addressed the social psychology principles that may influence physician behaviour.

The authors provide an overview of recent administrative measures designed to encourage physicians to disclose error, but note that deliberate practice, buttressed with lessons from social psychology, is needed to implement further productive behavioural changes.

Two main cognitive biases that may hinder error disclosure are identified, namely: fundamental attribution error, and forecasting error. Strategies to overcome these maladaptive cognitive patterns are discussed. The authors note that interactions with standardised patients (SPs) can be used to simulate hospital encounters and help teach important behavioural considerations. Virtual reality is introduced as an immersive, realistic and easily scalable technology that can supplement traditional curricula. Lastly, the authors highlight the importance of establishing a professional standard of competence, potentially by incorporating difficult patient encounters, including disclosure of error, into medical licensing examinations that assess clinical skills.

Existing curricula that cover physician error disclosure may benefit from reviewing the social psychology literature. These lessons, incorporated into SP programmes and emerging technological platforms, may improve training and evaluative methods for all medical trainees.