Communication, Apology, and Resolution Forum Slated for May 19

WALTHAM — The third annual Communication, Apology, and Resolution Forum on new approaches to respond to preventable medical harm will take place on Tuesday, May 19 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS), 860 Winter St., Waltham.

The forum is being hosted by the Massachusetts Alliance for Communication and Resolution following Medical Injury (MACRMI), an alliance of patient-advocacy groups, teaching hospitals and their insurers, statewide provider organizations, and the MMS, the statewide association of physicians, with nearly 25,000 physician and medical student members.

Communication, Apology, and Resolution (CARe) is a model for the transparent and honest approach for healthcare systems and medical-liability insurers to respond to cases of preventable harm. The model is based on the prompt recognition of and response to medical injury, along with appropriate compensation to the patient or family. CARe has demonstrated potential to improve patient safety, reduce medical costs, and enhance fairness and transparency in health care.

This year’s forum will include updates on the pilot programs at six Massachusetts hospitals, recent accomplishments, and two panels — a patient-provider-attorney panel and a risk-manager panel — in which audience members will learn about the CARe process and its benefits and challenges from those who have experienced it firsthand.

The patient-provider-attorney panel will describe the process in which a case was successfully resolved using the CARe approach, and highlight the benefits for the patient, the experience for the clinicians involved, and the perspectives of the attorneys from both parties.

The risk-manager panel will describe the changes in handling adverse events in institutions that have adopted the CARe program, some of the day-to-day challenges the risk managers and patient-safety team face, and ways to overcome those challenges.

For more information on CARe and MACRMI, including information for patients, providers, and attorneys, as well as the participating organizations, visit www.macrmi.info.