VOWELS: A communication framework for disclosing medical errors in medical oncology and palliative care

Recognising the impact of medical errors on patients and the doctor-patient relationship has underscored the need for better communication.1,2 For the most part, these efforts are informed by Chafe et al.’s 6 steps that entail: (1) the identification of the error in a timely fashion; (2) determination of the extent of the error; (3) constitution of a workgroup to establish the scope of the review; (4) identification of affected patients; (5) scrutiny of clinical records; and (6) the act of informing patients and other stakeholders.3-6 The apology and open disclosure are then said to be built upon this platform.