Honest communication, state law and communication-and-resolution practice when care goes wrong
3CPD hours
20final questions
80%pass mark
PDFcertificate
What you will learn
Distinguish disclosure from reporting and define error, adverse event, unanticipated outcome, serious event and sentinel event as used in U.S. sources
Apply the disclosure steps in AMA Opinion 8.6 and relate them to the ANA, APhA, ADA and AAPA codes
Explain The Joint Commission's disclosure expectation and the Sentinel Event Policy's 45-business-day analysis
Apply Pennsylvania MCARE Act reporting and written-notice duties and Florida's in-person notification duties
Distinguish sympathy from statements of fault under state apology laws such as Florida section 90.4026
Describe communication-and-resolution programs, the eight CANDOR modules and NPDB rules on payments
Explain the role of PSOs and patient safety work product under the PSQIA and 42 CFR Part 3
Plan, conduct and document a disclosure conversation, including with surrogates, interpreters and after a death
Support clinicians involved in harm and contribute to a just culture
Respond professionally to a complaint or board inquiry and demonstrate accountability and learning
About this course
This course teaches licensed health professionals in the United States how to disclose adverse events and medical errors to patients and families honestly, promptly and compassionately. It covers the ethical duty in the AMA Code of Medical Ethics (Opinion 8.6) and the nursing, pharmacy, dental and PA codes; The Joint Commission's expectation that unanticipated outcomes are disclosed; state statutes such as Pennsylvania's MCARE Act and Florida's notification and apology laws; the AHRQ CANDOR toolkit and communication-and-resolution programs; Patient Safety Organizations; and how to conduct, document and follow up a disclosure conversation.
It is written for physicians, nurses and APRNs, PAs, pharmacists, dentists and other licensees, whether employed in hospitals and health systems or in private practice. It is useful for routine CE, for preparing for a leadership or patient safety role, and for licensees who want to strengthen their practice after an adverse event or a complaint.
Disclosure matters in the U.S. because the old deny-and-defend model harmed patients, clinicians and safety. State boards treat concealment and record alteration more seriously than an honestly handled error, and laws in several states require notification while protecting it from being treated as an admission of liability. Knowing what is required where you practice, and how to have the conversation well, protects patients and your professional integrity.
Course facts
CPD value
Approximately 3 CPD hours (estimated learning time including knowledge checks, reflection and assessment)
Audience
U.S. licensees: physicians (MD/DO), nurses and APRNs, PAs, pharmacists, dentists and other licensed health professionals
Standards covered
AMA Code of Medical Ethics Opinion 8.6; ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses (2025); APhA Code of Ethics; ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct; AAPA Guidelines; The Joint Commission Sentinel Event Policy; AHRQ CANDOR; PSQIA and 42 CFR Part 3; 42 CFR 482.24; NPDB rules; Pennsylvania MCARE Act; Fla. Stat. 456.0575, 395.1051 and 90.4026
Format
Self-paced, gated lessons with knowledge checks, case studies and reflection
Assessment
20 scenario-based questions, 80% to pass (16 of 20)
Outcome
Certificate of completion and a written reflection for your CPD record
Alignment
Mapped to national professional codes and federal patient safety law, with state law examples; not approved by any state board. Check your board's requirements before using it for CE or a board order.
Syllabus
10 sections, 3 CPD hours, 20-question final assessment
1Disclosure in U.S. health care: foundations3 lessons
What disclosure means and the words that matter
Why disclosure matters: from deny-and-defend to communication and resolution
The ethical duty: what the professional codes say
2The legal and accreditation framework4 lessons
Accreditation: The Joint Commission and sentinel events
State laws that require disclosure to patients
Apology laws: sympathy versus fault
Boards, discipline and honesty after an error
3Communication-and-resolution programs and the CANDOR approach3 lessons
The AHRQ CANDOR toolkit
Resolution, compensation and the NPDB
Notifying your insurer and working with risk management
4Reporting, analysis and protected learning3 lessons
Internal event reporting
Patient Safety Organizations and the PSQIA
Mandatory external reporting and analysis
5Conducting the disclosure conversation4 lessons
Preparing for disclosure
The conversation, step by step
Apology, accountability and what not to say
Disclosure in special circumstances
6Documenting disclosure and following up3 lessons
Documenting the disclosure conversation
Never alter the record
Follow-up and continuity of care
7Second victims, team culture and accountability3 lessons
The clinician after an adverse event
Just culture and team responsibility
If a concern is raised about you
8Conclusion and key points1 lesson
Conclusion and key points
9References and further reading1 lesson
References and further reading
10Your reflective account1 lesson
Your reflective account
Who this course is for
U.S. licensees: physicians (MD/DO), nurses and APRNs, PAs, pharmacists, dentists and other licensed health professionals.
Certificate of completion. Not CE or CME credit unless accepted by your board.
Your name, the course title and the CPD hours
Completion date and a unique certificate ID that can be verified
Downloads as a PDF; save it to your portfolio
Fitness To Practice
Certificate of Completion
This certifies that
Your Name
has successfully completed
Disclosure of Adverse Events and Medical Errors
Completed12 Oct 2026
3CPD hours
Certificate IDFTS-7Q4K-2M9X
Certificate of completion — United States
Questions about this course
What does AMA Opinion 8.6 require after a medical error?
AMA Opinion 8.6, Promoting Patient Safety, says physicians should disclose the error, explain the nature of the harm, acknowledge it and express concern, and explain the steps taken to prevent recurrence. Fear of liability, it adds, must not shape what you tell the patient. The course compares this with what the nursing, pharmacy, dental and PA codes say.
Do state apology laws protect everything I say to a patient?
No. Laws differ between states. In Florida, for instance, section 90.4026 keeps expressions of sympathy and benevolent gestures out of evidence, yet an admission of fault can still be used. The course teaches you to separate expressing sympathy from speculating about fault, and to check your state's law and your organization's policy.
Which states require written notice of a serious event?
The course uses two examples. Pennsylvania's MCARE Act requires written notification to the patient of a serious event within seven days, and says this is not an admission of liability. In Florida, section 395.1051 obliges licensed facilities to inform patients of adverse incidents that cause serious harm. Other states differ, so check local law.
What is a communication-and-resolution program?
A CRP replaces deny-and-defend with prompt disclosure, investigation, apology and, where appropriate, fair resolution. AHRQ's CANDOR toolkit sets this out in eight modules covering buy-in, event reporting and analysis, response and disclosure, caregiver support, resolution and learning. The course explains each one and how NPDB rules treat payments.
Is the error disclosure course the same as a state medical errors CE requirement?
No. Florida, for example, requires a board-approved course on prevention of medical errors. Our course is about telling patients, not preventing errors, and no board has approved it or attached CE/CME credit to it. It runs about 3 hours for $89 and ends in a 20-question test and completion certificate.
Honesty where it is tested: records and late entries, license and DEA attestations, billing under federal fraud and abuse law, and conflicts of interest.
Accurate, timely, defensible records: CMS entry rules, medical necessity, cloned notes and AI scribes, corrections and addenda, access requests and retention.
What happens after a state board letter arrives: investigation, your written response, settlement conferences, consent orders, hearings and NPDB reporting.