The culture of physicians keeping their mistakes to themselves is dangerous for their mental health as well as the health of patients, according to an op-ed penned by Sara Scarlet, MD, in STAT News.
Dr. Scarlet, a general surgery resident at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, recognizes every physician makes mistakes from time to time. The first step to learning from them is to admit they happened. While many physicians see value in learning from past errors, most physicians find admitting to mistakes difficult for fear of reprimand and lost respect from colleagues. When this happens, physicians are often faced with feelings of guilt and shame that negatively affect their mental health.
Dr. Scarlet also emphasized how this practice has a detrimental effect on patients, as even a minor mistake that goes unaddressed for long enough can severely impact a patient's health.
A solution to this problem is to support a culture shift that lets physicians discuss their mistakes without feeling ashamed. Practices such as debriefing help to make patient care more collaborative and support the mental health of physicians and the quality of the care they give.
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