A respected lawyer, Rick Boothman, set out in 2001 to find a better way.
Working at the University of Michigan,
he ended the adversarial approach of deny and defend.
He felt that this approach was unethical and
was not in keeping with his academic medical center's mission.
And he also determined that this approach undermined their patient safety programs
by encouraging secrecy rather than transparency.
How could anyone learn from their errors if they were shoved under the rug?
In place of this outdated and unethical approach,
he promoted open communication and counseling.
Patient harm can be reported 24/7 at the University of Michigan.
And the representative responds within 24 hours and immediately offers counseling.
The representative stays in contact with the family until their claim is settled
providing continuity and maintaining open communication.
There is honest and rapid investigation which usually takes less than 30 days.
When a preventable error has occurred, a sincere apology is offered.