A comparative study of the "open disclosure" policy in the United States and Australia: lessons for Taiwan.

In Europe and North America, a few developed countries have gradually implemented an "open disclosure" mechanism characterized by openness, analysis, and learning in dealing with adverse medical events, so that the cost of medical litigation and the reoccurrence rate of adverse medical events can be decreased. The United States was the earliest country to implement an open disclosure mechanism, while Australia has developed the most comprehensive policy. This paper reviewed the histories and current status of the open disclosure mechanism in the United States and Australia to derive implications for constructing a disclosure mechanism for adverse medical events in Taiwan. Two suggestions were made after a review of the two countries' experiences. First, the dominant Department of Health should plan and conduct large-scale epidemiologic research on adverse medical events to force the medical system to face the issue of medical injury seriously. Second, social action supporters in various areas should be mobilized to propose comprehensive social legislation, promote education, and advocate for Taiwan to move toward the goal of dealing with adverse medical events with open disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]