Patients & Families
When harm happens during healthcare, it can be confusing, overwhelming, and difficult to navigate.
Understanding What Happened
Harm in healthcare can happen for many reasons
Sometimes harm can happen even when care was good and meant to help, such as a side effect of treatment or known risks of procedures. Other times patients are harmed by errors or system failures.
Talking with your providers can be an important step in understanding whether the harm you experienced means that there was an error in your care and that the error caused the harm.
Know your rights
If you or your loved one think you have been harmed or injured during your care at a hospital, clinic, or other healthcare organization, you have rights.
Understand What Happened
You have the right to a clear explanation of what occurred during your care, including any unexpected outcomes or harm.
Ask Questions and Get Answers
You can ask why the harm happened and discuss it with your care team to better understand what led to the situation.
Get Help and Support
You have the right to ask for help addressing any physical, emotional, or practical challenges you are facing.
What Happens Next
We’ve created a guide to help you move forward with clarity and confidence
For clear, practical steps to help you understand what happened, ask the right questions, and decide what to do next, see our guide:
What to do if you think you have been harmed by your healthcare
Common Questions
Patient & Family FAQ
These FAQs address common questions about harm response, what to expect from your healthcare team, and how care organizations work to learn and improve after harm.
How big a problem is harm from healthcare?
Harm from healthcare happens more often than many people think. Even with good care, problems can occur. To learn more, read about Harm from Healthcare – Facts and Common Misunderstandings.
As a patient, what is my role if I’m harmed?
Your voice can help the healthcare team understand what happened and how to improve. You can:
- Share your experience and what you saw
- Ask questions and raise concerns
- Tell the care team what matters most to you, and what sort of support you need
To learn more about what to do if you think you’ve been harmed by your healthcare, download our guide.
As a family member, what is my role if a loved one is harmed?
Your voice can help the healthcare team understand what happened and how to improve. You can:
- Share your experience and what you saw
- Support the patient
- Ask questions and raise concerns
- Tell the care team what matters most to you, and what sort of support you need
To learn more about what to do if you think a loved one has been harmed by their healthcare, download our guide.
What is “harm response”?
Harm response is what healthcare teams do after a patient is harmed by their care. It includes talking with you, supporting you, reviewing what happened, and working to prevent it from happening again.
What should the harm response process involve?
A good response should include:
- Talking with you early and honestly
- Listening to your questions and concerns
- Providing emotional and practical support
- Reviewing what happened
- Sharing what was learned
- Taking steps to prevent similar harm
- In some cases, a mistake causes serious harm. The organization may then offer money or other support (compensation).
What are “communication and resolution programs” (CRPs)?
Communication and resolution programs (CRPs) are a particular type of harm response. CRPs go by a variety of names, and the language may change over time (for example, to communication and reconciliation programs). No matter the name, the goal is the same: to help people heal, rebuild trust, and make care safer. They focus on:
- Talking openly with patients and families
- Providing support
- Reviewing what happened
- Taking steps to improve care
How are CRPs different from past approaches?
In the past, some organizations avoided open conversations after harm. This is sometimes called “deny and defend”: deny that there were problems with the care and defend against any legal action. CRPs are different. They focus on:
- Being open and honest
- Supporting patients and families
- Learning from what happened
Why should I want the places I get care to have a CRP?
- You are treated with honesty and respect
- You receive support
- You understand what happened
- The organization learns and improves
Research suggests that when these things happen, it can:
How do I know if the places where I get care have a harm response program, like a CRP?
It can be hard to tell which organizations have these programs. They go by many names (such as CRPs, CANDOR, CARe, or HEART) and are often not advertised. You can ask someone at your healthcare organization, such as your care team, patient relations, or a healthcare leader. For more tips, download our guide.
Are the places where I get care required to have CRPs?
In short, no, but they are encouraged:
- In the United States, Medicare asks hospitals to report whether they have a CRP. Healthcare facilities are not required to have one. This is part of the Patient Safety Structural Measure.
- The National Action Plan to Advance Patient Safety recommends CRPs.
- Leapfrog and the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Patient Safety Action Plan recommend approaches that fit with CRPs.
What if an event did not involve a mistake, or it’s unclear?
Harm can still happen even when nothing was done wrong. For example, it may be caused by side effects or known risks of treatment. No matter the cause, you still deserve:
- Clear communication
- Support
- A chance to ask questions
What if I or a loved one need emotional support after an event?
It is normal to need support after harm. Support helps people heal. You can:
- Talk with your care team
- Ask about patient or family support services
- Reach out to family, friends, or counselors
How can I advocate for better harm response?
Your voice can help improve care for others. You can:
- Ask your care team how they respond after harm
- Share your expectations for honesty and support
- Encourage healthcare leaders to have a CRP. You can share this link with them: http://harmresponse.wpenginepowered.com/who-we-serve/healthcare-leaders
- Complete our survey
- Support the Center for Harm Response
Get Involved
Better responses to harm are possible. By sharing experiences, improving processes, and working together, patients, families, and healthcare organizations can help create safer, more transparent systems.
Take our Quick Survey
The Center for Harm Response continues to develop programs and services shaped by the experiences of patients and families.
If you have ideas, feedback, or would like to be involved, we invite you to complete a brief anonymous survey.
Connect with Others Working to Improve Patient Safety
Patients for Patient Safety US is a national network of patients and families working to improve patient safety and healthcare systems. Learn more about their work and how to get involved.
Get in touch
If you’re looking to build, strengthen, or advance the response to harm, we’re here to help.