Communication, Apology and Resolution (CARe)

CARe is a model for more quickly, fairly, and compassionately meeting the needs of patients who have been harmed during procedures or treatments.

Improve patient safety, reduce costs and enhance fairness and transparency

CARe is an alternative to costly and emotionally painful lawsuits after a medical injury. Whether or not litigation is involved, it can help patients and families in the aftermath of medical harm events — and advance patient safety as health care organizations learn from these events.

How it works

  1. Health care organizations commit to prompt, empathetic, and transparent communication with patients and families after an adverse event and support for clinicians in disclosing these unexpected outcomes to patients.
  2. Health care organizations investigate the event and try to determine the causes. The goal is to institute new systems or practices to prevent the same thing from happening to other patients.
  3. If the event was preventable, patients and families are offered a sincere apology and financial compensation.

Annual CARe Forum

Registration will open this winter for the next forum on April 11, 2025 in Boston.

For patients and families

List of FAQs, a directory of attorneys committed to CARe, and additional resources for patients

Learn more circle-arrow

For providers

Information about CARe for clinicians and administrators in facilities that have adopted this model

Learn more circle-arrow

For attorneys

Best practices for representing patients using the CARe model

Learn more circle-arrow

Resource library

Comprehensive database of guidelines, tools, research, and other resources

Learn more circle-arrow

CARe forums

Videos, slides and other materials from annual CARe Forums

Learn more circle-arrow

Members

List of advisory board members and participating groups

Learn more circle-arrow