Takeaway
The delayed diagnosis of my brother's appendicitis highlighted the importance of honesty and accountability when medical errors occur. By openly acknowledging mistakes, doctors can rebuild trust.
Lifts—that’s what we call elevators in Ireland. When I was seven, two of my brothers and I amused ourselves going up and down, up and down, in a hospital lift one early summer day. We had hours to pass and there was nothing else to do except play with the lifts.
That day, our oldest brother, age 12, was in his hospital inpatient bed. The conversations that my parents had washed over me.
My brother had been very sick over the weekend. When our mother brought him to a family physician for a medical assessment that Sunday, the doctor told her that he probably just didn’t want to go to school. On Monday, our dad drove him to the emergency department. He was admitted and had surgery that morning. The surgeon told our father that he would have died had they arrived at the hospital two hours later. It was a delayed diagnosis of appendicitis that required intravenous antibiotics, frequent injections, and repeated surgeries.
My brother was an inpatient for almost a month and luckily survived. He later had adhesions and four hernia operations as an adult. My brother remembers that first doctor apologizing to our parents but not to him.
This experience has influenced my care of patients:
1. Acknowledge mistakes.
When an error occurs, be open and honest with patients and their loved ones.
2. Listen.
Listen with attentive open-mindedness to patients and loved ones.
Every patient encounter is an opportunity to truly hear concerns and validate experiences. The memory of those endless lift rides serves as a constant reminder—sometimes the most healing act can be ensuring your patient feels heard and valued.
This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not necessarily represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.