• It was common for health care providers to withhold information about medical mistakes. Only 9 percent of patients said the medical facility voluntarily disclosed the harm.
• When officials did disclose harm it was often because they were forced to. Nine percent of respondents said the harm was only acknowledged under pressure.
• Apologies were infrequent. Only 11 percent of patients or their family members reported getting an apology from a provider.
• More than 30 percent reported paying bills related to the harm. The average cost: $14,024.

The Two Things That Rarely Happen After a Medical Mistake