Disclosure of Harm

Disclosure: Communicating Unexpected Outcomes in HealthcareAlberta Health Services acknowledges that despite best efforts to provide safe, quality care, things can go wrong and Patients may experience Harm. When a Patient is harmed, disclosure to the Patient/Family in an empathetic, timely, and transparent manner is the right thing to do.

Sometimes knowing what and how to disclose can be a difficult decision and it is almost always a time of anxiety for healthcare providers, patients and families.

Alberta Health Services is committed to open and honest communication between health practitioners and Patients/Families.

Several resources are provided here to support the five Alberta Health Services values of compassion, accountability, respect, excellence and safety.

Disclosure Education

These courses are part of the Academy of Quality Improvement Sciences (AQuIS) curriculum and are accredited.

For dates and registration, navigate to MyLearningLink on Insite and search "QPSE". External Learners can email qpse@ahs.ca for assistance.

Disclosure Done Well Video Series

These videos are intended for the initial disclosure conversation. They are meant to provide clinicians with a just in time resource for conducting disclosure conversations. The Facilitation Guide can accompany the videos as a training tool for brief in-services.

Please keep in mind that these videos are not meant to replace the 4-hour course, Communicating Unexpected Outcomes – Disclosure Skills for Teams offered by accredited faculty.

Contacts