Case Outcomes in a Communication-and-Resolution Program in New York Hospitals.

Objective: To determine case outcomes in a communication-and-resolution program (CRP) implemented to respond to adverse events in general surgery.

Study Setting: Five acute-care hospitals in New York City.

Study Design: Following CRP implementation, hospitals recorded information about each CRP event for 22 months.

Implementing hospital-based communication-and-resolution programs: lessons learned in New York City.

In 2010 five New York City hospitals implemented a communication-and-resolution program (CRP) in general surgery. The program's goals were to improve reporting of serious adverse events to risk management, support clinical staff in discussing these events with patients, rapidly investigate why injuries occurred, communicate to patients what was discovered, and offer apologies and compensation when the standard of care was not met. We report the hospitals' experiences with implementing the CRP over a twenty-two-month period.