Disclosure Training Program: The Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA)

The Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA) offers educational resources to help physicians and trainees meet their patient’s clinical, information and emotional needs after an unanticipated poor clinical outcome.

Education sessions are provided:

• By request anywhere in Canada;
• In both official languages; and
• For practicing physicians, trainees, and other health care professionals.

Participants may choose the type of session, ranging from a one-hour introductory workshop, an enriched two to three hour program, as well as an expanded risk management and patient safety program. Participants learn practical skills in interactive workshops and facilitated discussions using video and role-play exercises.

Every program draws on real CMPA cases, chosen to match the audience’s practice type and specialty, and level of training. The program is further customized to meet the relevant legal and regulatory authority (College) requirements in that province or territory.

Participants learn about:

• The circumstances when a disclosure discussion is appropriate;
• Who should participate in disclosure discussions;
• When and where disclosure should take place;
• What to disclose and how to say it;
• The role of apology; and
• What should be documented.

The CMPA’s educational approach and resources follow the Canadian Disclosure Guidelines. The CMPA booklet, Communicating with your patient about harm: Disclosure of adverse events, available on the CMPA’s website, is provided without charge at workshops. Based on expert opinion, medical literature and the CMPA’s experience, the booklet helps guide physicians on what to do and how to communicate with a patient following an adverse event. 

For more information about the CMPA’s disclosure educational program, please call 800 267-6522, email education@cmpa.org, or visit www.cmpa-acpm.ca.