Table 3 Structure of the analysis results and the main content

Why

Why should medical professionals conduct open disclosure?

• Open disclosure is an imperative, especially for the healthcare field because it deals with matters affecting life and death.

• The well-known benefits of open disclosure, such as reduced number of medical lawsuits and improved level of patient trust in physicians, were generally accepted by participants.

When

When should open disclosure take place?

• Physicians and the general public agreed on the need for open disclosure in the event of medical errors causing severe injuries.

• Most physicians expressed marked negativity toward open disclosure of near misses, but most participants from the general public group demanded open disclosure of near misses for the patient’s future reference and to prevent recurrence.

When should open disclosure be initiated?

• Participants from the general public group wanted open disclosure to take place as promptly as possible.

What

What should be delivered through open disclosure?

• Incident description and sympathy expression were considered essential elements of open disclosure.

• The general public mainly argued that if harm occurs due to medical error, the apology should come before compensation and will bring about emotional relief.

Who

Who should practice open disclosure?

• Physicians thought that implementation of open disclosure itself depends on the superior involved, that is, the professor in charge of the department.

Who is subject to open disclosure?

• Many participants believed that not only patients, but also caregivers are subject to open disclosure.

Where

Where should open disclosure take place?

• All physicians insisted on a separate place, for instance, a quiet counseling room, as a venue for open disclosure.

How

How should open disclosure be carried out?

• Physicians did not know how to conduct open disclosure.

• The general public felt offended by inadequate apologies and consequently felt neglected in other medical areas as well.

How should open disclosure be promoted?

• Most physicians acknowledged the importance of open disclosure education.

• Not only most physicians, but also considerable numbers of participants from the general public showed support for improving the medical environment, that is, the organizational culture of hospitals.

• Several participants requested establishment of a system after the introduction of open disclosure guidelines.

• Many agreed on the purpose and need for an apology law to facilitate open disclosure.