Breaking the Silence on Medical Mistakes

When medical mistakes happen, patients and their families often find themselves at a loss trying to figure out exactly what went wrong. Something bad happened. And then, communication drops; there’s no real explanation, and no apology. Suddenly, everybody seems on guard. Health care providers can often feel bound by an imposed cone of silence that’s designed to protect them and their institution, but makes it impossible to fully face up to their mistake, or have open conversations about preventing future ones.

On this episode, we explore the breaking of that silence, along with new solutions to avoid medical errors. We hear stories about what prompted one surgeon to go public after performing the wrong procedure, how the death of a young woman prompted her parents to try and change the system, and an investigation into an OB-GYN and the trail of injured women left in his wake.

ALSO HEARD:

• Talia Goldenberg was 23 years old when she died in the hospital after neck surgery to address worsening symptoms of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. After the surgery, Talia had repeatedly complained that she couldn’t breathe — complaints that her parents say were not addressed properly. They wanted answers — but beyond that, they’ve vowed to change the medical system and hospital culture around mistakes through an organization called Talia’s Voice.
• Back in the ‘90s, an OB-GYN named Thomas J. Byrne lost his medical license after New York state found him to be dangerous, negligent, and fraudulent. But decades later, Byrne got his license back. We hear an excerpt from the podcast “Imminent Danger: One Doctor and a Trail of Injured Women,” from WNYC and Gothamist, and talk to reporter Karen Shakerdge.