Beth Israel Deaconess examines mistakes made after patients die

 "The hospital has created a 20-person working group to focus on the aftermath of a patient’s death. It’s part of a broader effort to reduce “insults to dignity” — mistakes that cause emotional harm, but haven’t traditionally been considered medical errors. For example, after another woman died at the hospital, her family got to the funeral home and couldn’t find her pocketbook, said Patricia Folcarelli, senior director of patient safety. It turned out the pocketbook was still in the hospital morgue. In another case, the hospital failed to complete an autopsy that a family had requested, she said. These cases happen with low frequency, but have high impact, Folcarelli said. “If something about the death doesn’t sit well with the family members, they’re at higher risk of complicated grief” — when grief gets “stuck” or turns into depression, added Kathleen Rimer, the hospital’s director of spiritual care."

Beth Israel Deaconess examines mistakes made after patients die