CASE
A healthcare professional discovers a serious error committed by a colleague in the management of a certain patient. At first glance, his options seem to be the following: to keep silent about it, to discuss the matter with his colleague, to discuss the matter with the hospital administration, or to inform the patient of the error. Before making his next move, however, he wishes to know the different factors for consideration in cases like this.
QUESTION
What are some dimensions of peer relations?
POSSIBLE SOLUTION
Health care workers experience the need to establish good personal relationships not only with their patients, but also with their colleagues. This stems from the reality that patient care is not an individual endeavor, but a highly cooperative one. Peer relationships involve not only technical procedures and processes, but also deeply human interactions including leadership, accountability, common decision making and cooperation in carrying out decisions, and adequate communication and mutual support. Thus, these relationships prove profoundly ethical.
Peer relations go beyond the confines of the department or the team managing the same patient. Better interpersonal relationships among health care professionals in general create a less stressful and more humane work atmosphere, redounding in higher group standards and better patient care. They furthermore minimize the need for legal recourse, such as penalties, or for patients defending their rights by all available economic, legal, and political means.
Given these considerations, what should be the professional’s attitude towards errors committed by peers? No single correct answer applies to all cases. Rather, each situation finds judgment according to the circumstances. But a guiding principle is always that of finding the best possible solution promoting to the extent possible the good of all: the patient, colleagues, and the profession itself.
DISCLAIMER AS TO SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: These materials, including the original text (by the Author) and the AI-generated video content (via Google’s NotebookLM), are provided solely for educational and illustrative purposes. They present hypothetical scenarios (even though the AI-generated videos at times mistakenly say they took place in real life) and must not be construed as professional advice or a basis for operational or medical decision-making. Users are explicitly advised to seek the counsel of qualified experts and relevant bioethics committees for the proper assessment and determination of appropriate actions. The Author disclaims all liability for any loss or damage arising from the interpretation or application of these materials.
Copyright (C) 2025 by Author: Fr. Gregory Ramon D. GASTON, SThD, DComm. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No reproduction, transmission, or distribution of this content may be made without the explicit written permission of the author.