Disingenuous apologies can make a mountain out of a molehill

1. Whitman AB, Park DM, Hardin SB. How do patients want physicians to handle mistakes?, A survey of internal medicine patients in an academic setting. Arch Intern Med 1996;156(22):2565–69.

2. R v Hugel trial ruling not reported, for the costs decision see unreported, High Court Rotorua, T99/97, 20 October 1998, Paterson J. The Judge excluded attempts of the Crown to use the apology as an admission of liability, in the Hugel manslaughter trial.

3. Carvel D (GP; Glasgow, UK). The downward spiral [editorial]. BMJ 2000;321:715.