Resources

The concept of candour is not new. Being candid means being honest, which includes ‘complete openness and transparency.’ Exercising candour in healthcare is challenging for multiple reasons.

Saying sorry is an important element of open disclosure and psychological safety – and therefore clinical governance. It is also an extremely powerful yet simple way to make people ‘feel better’. Saying sorry conveys empathy, compassion, and respect towards the person receiving the apology, not to mention remorse. It acknowledges an acceptance that your actions (or words) can adversely impact others, and is the opposite of defensiveness (which is counter-productive). Apologising is not taking the blame, nor is it an admission of liability. Saying sorry is about being accountable, accepting responsibility, and restoring trust in a relationship.

While the Australian Open Disclosure Framework was published almost 10 years ago in 2014, it is still not routinely applied in healthcare. In aged care, open disclosure has been a regulatory requirement since 1 July 2019, when the Aged Care Quality Standards came into effect - which purported to ‘clearly define what good aged care should look like’. Clinical governance under Standard 8 (on Organisational Governance) specifically requires the practice of open disclosure. But how is open disclosure relevant to clinical governance?