Dive Brief:
- A bill which would let Wisconsin providers express sympathy for patients without fear of the statements being used against them in court is headed for the state Senate.
- If passed, the bill would make apologies, condolences and expressions of sympathy inadmissible as evidence in civil court or in an administrative hearings regarding the provider's actions.
- Meanwhile, Wisconsin's state Senate approved a separate bill which would ask that change the definition of informed consent from meeting "a reasonable patient standard" to "a reasonable physician standard."
Dive Insight:
So-called "I'm sorry" laws now exist around the country, and it's a good thing that they do. There's no point to penalizing physicians for being human in a fraught environment -- such as a patient death -- where anything they say is likely to come across as defensive rather than sympathetic. Let's hope the Wisconsin Senate looks upon the house bill favorably.