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

A Failure to Document Patient’s Refusal

Add a patient’s refusal of cancer screening, risks related to the refusal, and alternatives offered to the EHR.

Case Study

Poor Teamwork Contributes to Anesthesiology Errors and Harm to Patient

Poor communication and inappropriate use of a paralytic led to permanent facial nerve damage and paralysis during surgery. Poor documentation complicated the case’s resolution.

Related To: Claims, Communication, Teamwork Training

Case Study

Fatal Consequences of Inadequate Triage in the ED

The failure to appropriately assess and triage a patient with syncope in the emergency department (ED) led to the patient’s death.

Related To: Claims, Emergency Medicine, Nursing

Case Study

Inappropriate Anesthesia Administration Results in Severe Consequences

The administration of fentanyl and propofol without appropriate assessment, resources, and a defined airway led to a patient’s death.

Related To: Claims, Communication, EHR, Medication

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More Communication

PULSE Coaching Best Practices

Article

Best practices for implementing a successful coaching program within your institution, using the PULSE 360 Program as a foundational tool.

woman involved in a serious conversation with an unseen person

surgeons in OR checking a computer screen

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.

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.

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Can Your Patient Understand Your Instructions?

Failed Physician-Nurse Communication

Malpractice Risks in Communication Failures

Informed Consent Basics

Our Case Studies

A Failure to Document Patient’s Refusal

Poor Teamwork Contributes to Anesthesiology Errors and Harm to Patient

Fatal Consequences of Inadequate Triage in the ED

Inappropriate Anesthesia Administration Results in Severe Consequences

More Communication

PULSE Coaching Best Practices

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

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