Communication

Communication failures are a leading contributing factor in medmal cases. Our patient safety resources, informed by experts from across the Harvard medical community, help reduce your risk of being sued through case studies, clinical guidelines, podcasts, and more.

Our Case Studies

CRICO's case studies educate you on what can go wrong in clinical settings and how you can prevent similar issues.

Case Study

Communication Issue Leads to Retained Foreign Body

Following successful cranial surgery, a 54-year-old man experienced back and lower extremity pain which was ultimately diagnosed as being related to an intrathecal lumbar catheter left behind at the time of surgery eight months earlier.

Case Study

Improper Management and Lack of Communication Causes Significant Post-Surgery Complications

Case Study

Failure to Diagnose Myocordial Infarction

A 77-year-old with a pre-op history of abnormal EKGs died in the PACU following a cholecystectomy

Case Study

Test Result Snafu Delays Cervical Cancer Diagnosis

A patient never received her abnormal test results or her associated need for follow up, leading to a delayed cervical cancer diagnosis.

View All Case Studies

More Communication

CRICO Grant Spotlight: A Verbal Electronic Surgical Safety Checklist for the Intensive Care Unit

Article

This CRICO grant-funded project showed that an electronic checklist could accurately verbalize information needed for a SICU time-out and could deliver objective information from the EHR at the point of care.

surgeons in OR checking a computer screen

CRICO Grant Spotlight: Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Among Women 40–49 in Primary Care

Article

Through a CRICO grant-funded project, Mara Schonberg, MD, MPH, sought to learn if providing women age 40-49 with information about their risk of breast cancer is useful to them when deciding on breast cancer screening and prevention interventions. Participants completed a pre-test, received their personalized breast cancer risk report, saw their primary care clinician, and completed a post-test.

doctor and patient in virtual appointment

Advisory: Detecting and Reporting Patient Safety Risks in Virtual Care Delivery

Article

On September 23, 2021, the Academic Medical Center Patient Safety Organization (AMC PSO), in association with the Alliance for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (AQIPS), hosted the first National Safe Table for PSOs on the topic of detecting and reporting patient safety risks associated with virtual care delivery.

See all

Can Your Patient Understand Your Instructions?

Failed Physician-Nurse Communication

Malpractice Risks in Communication Failures

Informed Consent Basics

Our Case Studies

Communication Issue Leads to Retained Foreign Body

Improper Management and Lack of Communication Causes Significant Post-Surgery Complications

Failure to Diagnose Myocordial Infarction

Test Result Snafu Delays Cervical Cancer Diagnosis

More Communication

CRICO Grant Spotlight: A Verbal Electronic Surgical Safety Checklist for the Intensive Care Unit

CRICO Grant Spotlight: Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Among Women 40–49 in Primary Care

Advisory: Detecting and Reporting Patient Safety Risks in Virtual Care Delivery

About CRICO

CME Opportunities

Patient Safety & Claims