| Course | DDHA 8103 Advanced Healthcare Quality and Risk Management |
|---|---|
| Week | Week 7 |
| Paper type | Patient disclosure letter with notes |
| Length | About 740 words, 4 pages |
| Format | Letter, APA 7 citations |
| School | Walden University |
| Program | Doctor of Healthcare Administration (DHA) |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for DDHA 8103 Week 7
Month Day, Year
Mr. [First Name] T.
[Street Address]
[City, State ZIP]
Re: The burn on your back after your therapy visit on [date]
Dear Mr. T.:
I am writing about the burn on your lower back that happened during your physical therapy visit at our Millbrook clinic on [date]. I am sorry. You came to us for help with back pain and left with an injury that we caused, and the weeks of wound care since then have been our doing, not yours.
Here is what we know. At the end of your exercise session, a hot pack was placed under your lower back while you lay face up, with an extra towel, because lying face down hurt your shoulder. The pack stayed in place for 20 minutes. A staff member checked on you after five minutes, and you said the heat felt warm. When the pack was removed, your skin was red, and by the next morning it had blistered. The burn clinic found a partial-thickness burn, which means the top layers of skin were damaged.
Here is what we do not know yet. We are still working out why our usual steps did not prevent this. We already know that lying on a hot pack presses the towels flat and lets more heat reach the skin, and that our written procedure did not tell staff what to do when a patient cannot lie face down. We are looking at how often this has happened in our other clinics and what needs to change. I will not guess at the answers before the review is finished, because I do not want to tell you something now that turns out to be wrong later. We also do not yet know whether the burn will leave a mark. Your burn clinic will be able to tell you more as it heals.
Here is what we are doing. We have stopped placing patients on top of hot packs at all twelve of our clinics while the review continues. We will pay for your burn clinic visits, your dressings and any other care this injury needs, and you will not receive bills for your therapy visits during this period. If the injury has cost you anything else, such as time off or travel, please tell us.
I will be your contact for as long as you want one. My name is [Name], and I am the patient safety officer for our rehabilitation clinics. I will call you on [day and date] to see how you are healing and to answer questions you or your daughter may have. When the review is complete, I would like to meet with you in person, at a place that suits you, to tell you what we found and what we changed. You can reach me directly at [phone number] on weekdays.
Thank you for letting us know so quickly, and for your patience with us while we sort this out.
Sincerely,
[Name]
Patient Safety Officer, Hollins Ford Health Outpatient Rehabilitation
Notes for the Director of Risk Management
The letter follows the disclosure conversation held on the day the daughter called, so it confirms what was said rather than introducing new facts. Its wording choices draw on what patients have said they want. Gallagher et al. (2003) found that patients hoped for an account of the event, a reason for it, a plan for dealing with its effects and steps against recurrence, along with an apology. The letter gives all four, but it gives the why only to the extent the review supports it, and it says so openly.
Three phrases were removed from the draft that legal counsel first returned: "we regret any inconvenience," "the incident is under investigation" and "please do not hesitate to contact us." Each one protects the organization's tone at the expense of the reader's understanding. The letter also avoids naming or blaming the aide, because the review has found the problem in the procedure. Mello et al. (2014) found that programs which pair candor with prompt support for the patient's costs were sustainable only when risk managers, counsel and insurers agreed on the approach in advance. The waiver of bills and payment of wound care costs were cleared with the liability carrier before the letter was sent. Kachalia et al. (2010) describe one system in which this approach coincided with fewer claims and lower costs, though the letter is written because the patient is owed it, not because of that finding.
References
Gallagher, T. H., Waterman, A. D., Ebers, A. G., Fraser, V. J., & Levinson, W. (2003). Patients' and physicians' attitudes regarding the disclosure of medical errors. JAMA, 289(8), 1001-1007. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.289.8.1001
Kachalia, A., Kaufman, S. R., Boothman, R., Anderson, S., Welch, K., Saint, S., & Rogers, M. A. M. (2010). Liability claims and costs before and after implementation of a medical error disclosure program. Annals of Internal Medicine, 153(4), 213-221. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00002
Mello, M. M., Boothman, R. C., McDonald, T., Driver, J., Lembitz, A., Bouwmeester, D., Dunlap, B., & Gallagher, T. (2014). Communication-and-resolution programs: The challenges and lessons learned from six early adopters. Health Affairs, 33(1), 20-29. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2013.0828
DDHA 8103 Week 7 instructions, in plain terms
In the seventh week, prompts usually ask for a disclosure letter to a patient or family after harm. Write for the reader, not for counsel. Use plain language and short paragraphs. Say what happened as far as it is known, and say clearly what is not yet known. Apologize in direct words. Explain what the organization is doing now, both for the patient and to prevent a repeat. Name a person, give a way to reach them and set a next step with a date. Avoid phrases that protect the institution's tone but blur the facts. Many instructors also ask for brief notes to an administrator explaining the letter's choices, with citations. One page suits the letter; the notes can be briefer still.
How this DDHA 8103 Week 7 example is built
The letter opens with the date and visit, then apologizes directly. A paragraph headed by here is what we know describes the position on the pack, the extra towel, the five-minute check, the redness and the burn clinic finding. The next paragraph says what is unknown, explains why the writer will not guess, and notes that scarring cannot yet be predicted. A paragraph on actions pauses the positioning practice in all clinics, covers wound care and therapy bills and asks about other costs. The final paragraphs name the patient safety officer, set a call date, offer a meeting and give a direct number. Notes for the director of risk management explain the phrases removed from counsel's draft and tie the cost decisions to insurer agreement.
Reading the DDHA 8103 Week 7 rubric
Disclosure letters are judged by whether the reader would understand them and feel respected. A letter that hedges, uses passive voice or hides behind policy language usually scores low even if it is accurate. Rubrics typically reward a clear apology, a factual account, an honest statement of what is unknown and concrete next steps. A named contact with a date earns more than an invitation to call. Instructors look for consistency with the facts established in earlier weeks, so a letter that says more than the review supports loses marks. Supporting notes, where required, are marked on whether they explain the choices with evidence. Plain language, short sentences and no jargon are expected. Correct references in the notes secure the last points.
DDHA 8103 Week 7 help from the desk
The hardest part of this week is resisting institutional language. Read your draft as the patient would, tired and in pain, and remove every phrase that sounds like a press release. Replace we regret any inconvenience with I am sorry, and say what for. State the facts you know without adding causes you only suspect. Tell the reader plainly what you do not know yet and when you will tell them more. Name a real role and a date. Check that the money commitments have been agreed before you write them. Keep it to one page. Send us the facts of your case and we will return a plain-language letter, plus notes defending each choice to the administrator who signs off.
Get a DDHA 8103 Week 7 example written to your instructions
Send the case your section supplied, the prompt and the rubric, and a letter in this sequence comes back to you at a controlled reading level. The first custom example is free, arrives inside 24 to 48 hours, and follows whichever elements your classroom's rubric names, including any required subject line or delivery note.
More DDHA 8103 papers and DHA samples
- DDHA 8103 Week 1: Harm Despite Controls Post
- DDHA 8103 Week 2: Event Chronology Analysis
- DDHA 8103 Week 3: Root Cause Analysis
- DDHA 8103 Week 4: Harm Measure Definition
- DDHA 8103 Week 5: Ranked Risk Register
- DDHA 8103 Week 6: Candor Versus Exposure Post
- DDHA 8103 Week 8: Improvement Proposal
- DDHA 8103 Week 9: Policy Brief
- DDHA 8103 Week 10: Cost of Harm Memo
- DDHA 8103 Week 11: Board Case on Moist Heat
- DDHA 8006 Week 7: Doctoral Position Paper
DDHA 8103 Week 7 questions, answered
Where can I find a free DDHA 8103 Week 7 sample paper?
The full disclosure letter to Mr. T., with the notes for risk management, can be read here at no cost.
Why does the DDHA 8103 Week 7 letter say what is not yet known?
Patients trust an honest gap more than a guess, and a guess that later proves wrong would harm both the relationship and the organization's position.
Which phrases were removed from the first draft?
We regret any inconvenience, the incident is under investigation and please do not hesitate to contact us, because each one blurred the facts.
Why does the letter not name the aide?
The review found the problem in the procedure, so naming a staff member would be inaccurate and unfair.
How were the payment promises cleared?
The waiver of therapy bills and payment for wound care were agreed with the liability carrier before the letter was sent.